


Lover of Mine

by unleeshedd



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon Rewrite, Divided Loyalties, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor & Slytherin Inter-House Friendships, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Humor, James Potter Lives, Love, Loyalty, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black Lives, Slytherin, Slytherin Politics, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Team as Family, sirius daughter au, slightly AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 167,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26472868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unleeshedd/pseuds/unleeshedd
Summary: Cassandra Black thought her life was already complicated enough as she headed into her fourth year at Hogwarts. But, as events no one could have predicted take over, suddenly her whole world is turned upside down. Loyalties will be tested, unexpected bonds forged - and life as she knows it will never be the same again. DRACO/OC. FRED/OC. SIRIUSDAUGHTER!OC. YEAR 4 ONWARDS.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Other(s), Draco Malfoy/Reader, Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 150





	1. The World Cup

**_When I take a look at my life, and all of my crimes, you're the only thing that I think I got right._ **

* * *

"Cassie hurry up, we have to go!" Hermione Granger called up the stairs of Grimmauld Place.

"I'm coming!" I called down to my friend, closing the closet door and walking over to the dresser. I quickly examined myself in the mirror, my hand absentmindedly coming to rest on the silver C necklace on my chest. I smiled softly before throwing my black hair up into a messy ponytail and heading out of the room.

"There you are," Hermione smiled as I came down the stairs, "Come on, everyone else is waiting,"

I followed her into the living room, where the rest of our friends were gathered. The Black house was rather crowded at the moment, with the Potters, Weasleys, as well as Remus, and Hermione all staying. It was rare that Grimmauld Place was ever just my Dad and I, there was always at least one other member of our extended family around.

"Ready to go?" my dad smiled at me, and I nodded with a small smile.

"Are you excited?" Harry nudged me gently as I joined them.

"Bursting," I grinned back at my god-brother.

"Alright all set?" Arthur Weasley asked, and we all nodded excitedly. Arthur was taking Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and myself to the final of the Quidditch World Cup. And considering that most of us played, we were quite excited.

"Be safe," Mrs Weasley hugged us all in turn.

"Don't get into too much trouble," James winked at us.

"Us?"

"Trouble?"

"Never!" Fred and George smirked innocently, earning them a stern warning look from Mrs Weasley before she ushered us all out of Grimmauld Place.

"How far do we have to walk Dad?" Ron called out, stifling a yawn as we began to trek up the hill.

"Not too far I hope!" Mr Weasley called back cheerily.

I raised my eyebrows and exchanged a slightly worried look with Hermione.

"That doesn't sound comforting," Fred muttered.

"I can't believe what time it is; I don't remember the last time I was awake this early," Ron continued to grumble as he and Harry fell behind the rest of us.

"You need to get out and seize the day more Ronald," Hermione commented, not even turning around.

"Easy for you to say, you didn't get woken up by a bucket of water being dumped on your head!" Ron grumbled.

"I warned you," Ginny shrugged, happily accepting the high five George offered.

"You really are my favourite Weasley, Gin," I laughed, remembering the drowned rat that was Ron I had seen first thing this morning.

"OI!"

"Weasley girl then!" I rolled my eyes, turning to the affronted looking twins walking beside me.

"That's more like it," George huffed.

"Any more remarks like that you might just end up with a Ton-Tongue Toffee in your food," Fred grinned wickedly.

"Don't you dare!" I warned, shoving into him lightly.

The twins had spent their summer developing various sweets and other joke related materials. The plan was for them to start testing and selling products at Hogwarts this year. Most of us had found ourselves used as guinea pigs on multiple occasions, Ron usually more than the rest of us.

"I'll tell Mum," Ginny butted in.

Ron groaned, "That's punishing all of us Gin, aren't you sick of hiding upstairs from her every time she blows her lid?"

"You haven't got me yet," I turned back to Fred, "Maybe I'm just too smart for you."

"I'm just taking it easy on you," Fred winked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Arthur!" a voice yelled from just ahead of us, drawing our attention as we finally came to a stop. Ron let out an obvious sigh of relief, earning him another eye roll from Hermione.

"About time!" the man beamed, moving forward to embrace Mr Weasley happily.

"Sorry Amos," Mr Weasley grinned, "Some of us had a bit of a slow start this morning," he glanced quickly at Ron, who sighed again, hanging his head.

"Amos Diggory everyone, he works with me at the Ministry."

"Diggory," Ginny whispered to me excitedly, "As in-"

Before Ginny could finish her sentence, a boy fell out of the tree in front of us, landing gracefully on his feet. There was no denying how handsome this boy was, one of the most handsome boys I knew at Hogwarts. No wonder Ginny had sounded so excited, I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and had to hold in a giggle at the star struck look on her face.

"And this strapping lad must be Cedric!" Mr Weasley exclaimed,

"Yes, sir." Cedric held out his hand, shaking Mr Weasley's politely.

Ginny gripped my arm and squeezed excitedly; I merely rolled my eyes still trying to contain my giggles for her sake.

"Diggory," Fred started.

"Nice to see you not having your ass handed to you by us on the Quidditch field," George finished.

Cedric smiled at them good naturedly, "Always a pleasure boys,"

I could hear Ron and Harry grumbling about something from behind me, probably because Hermione and Ginny hadn't stopped whispering and giggling to each other since Cedric had dropped from the tree.

"Cassie," Cedric turned to me with a warm smile, "Been practicing much over break?"

"Always," I replied with a smile, "Someone has to keep our team afloat,"

"Easy to do when you're clearly the best," he replied with a wink, and I cursed myself lightly when I felt a slight blush creep onto my cheeks.

"Good, isn't he?" George murmured in my ear, smirking. I shot him a slight glare, which only made him laugh more.

"Hi Harry, how are you?" I heard Cedric move to stand behind us and talk to Harry and Ron.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Ginny sighed.

"Settle down Ginny, I'll be mopping you up off the ground in a minute," I rolled my eyes.

"You can't say you don't think he's attractive," Hermione looked at me in shock.

I shrugged, "Not my type I guess,"

"Exactly-"

"-she prefers redheads."

"In your dreams boys," I laughed, meeting the twin's mischievous gazes.

"Right!" Mr Weasley captured everyone's attention, "Grab on everyone, quickly!"

"Why are portkeys always something so old and ugly?" Harry mused as we all gathered around the worn, brown boot in front of us on the grass.

"Can't make it too obvious I suppose," Hermione shrugged, "If it's something everyone will want to look at, they'd be picking it up all the time."

"Exactly, that's why Ron would make an excellent portkey. No one wants to touch him with a ten-foot-pole." I agreed, earning loud laughter from the twins and a withering glare from Ron.

"Alright, time to go!" Amos called out, "Everyone hold on tight!"

"Three…two…one!"

Suddenly we were being thrown into the air, spinning and hurtling round, and round. I gripped onto the boot tightly, not wanting to know where I may end up if I let go too early. Just as I was beginning to feel slightly nauseous, I heard Mr Weasley calling out.

"Let go kids! Let go!"

I quickly loosened my grip and felt myself screaming as I was flung through the air and crashed down onto the ground. Sitting up, I let out a groan at the unexpected hard impact.

"Portkeys never get easier," Harry muttered to me, and I nodded in agreement, happily accepting the hand he offered to pull me up.

"I always thought you were more graceful than that, CB," Fred grinned, as I dusted my hands off on my knees, looking around us. 'CB' was a nickname that had broken out during my first year at Hogwarts, and just kind of stuck ever since.

"Me and graceful have never spoken the same language," I shot back, not being able to help the grin growing on my face as I took in our surroundings.

The field we had landed in was filled with tents, there were witches and wizards bustling around everywhere, music and laughter filled the air and there wasn't one spare space in the entire field.

"This is incredible," Harry breathed from next to me, and I turned to grin happily at him.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a brilliant night."

"Come on then! Let's go find our spot shall we," Arthur called from just ahead of us, "We'll see you later on then Amos!" he waved as the Diggory's headed off in the other direction, Cedric offering all of us a wave as they went.

"Nice, isn't he?" I commented to Harry, who was frowning slightly as he watched his retreating form.

Harry turned to me and shrugged, "Heard he can be a bit of a dick,"

I raised my eyebrows, what did Harry Potter have against Cedric Diggory?

"OI! Come on you two! You get lost out here we'll never find you again!" Ron yelled out, and we looked back in front of us to see the Weasley's had gotten a fair way ahead of us.

Harry and I quickly raced to catch up, meeting up with them just as they came to a stop in front of well, a rather small tent.

Hermione turned to Fred skeptically, "Are you sure we're all going to fit in here? I thought your mother said she packed the big one!"

Fred just laughed, pushing her forward into the tent and I grinned as I followed them, wondering why Hermione had ever doubted it at all. The inside was huge, it had a mass of different rooms and sections, practically an entire house squeezed into one tiny little tent. I would never stop being amazed at the things magic could do. I shared one more grin with Harry, and by the look on his face I could tell he shared the exact same thought I just had, before he headed off in the direction Ron and the twins had gone and I followed Hermione and Ginny.

I walked into the girl's area, where a bunk bed and a single cot occupied the purple and white decorated space.

"I CALL TOP BUNK!" I yelled, launching myself up into the bunk before Ginny or Hermione could protest.

Both girls shook their heads at me with fond smiles, before Ginny dumped her bag on the bunk below me and Hermione settled onto the cot, crossing her legs and looking around, her eyes shining.

"I love magic."

"Hm, well you'd think with all this magic they could make the inside big enough to not even need bunks," Ginny teased slightly.

"I like it," I said brightly, dangling my legs over the edge, "Makes me feel like a muggle away on one of those summer camps."

"Ooh can we stay up late and braid each other's hair while we gossip about BOYS?" Ginny played along, twirling her hair around her finger and letting out a fake high-pitched giggle.

Hermione and I both laughed, seeing Ginny acting so girly was very out of character and just didn't look right.

"If you're going to gossip, I think it's only fair I should be invited to stay in this room," Fred appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and a cheeky glint in his eye.

"Sorry," I shrugged, "There's only three beds."

"Guess we'll have to share then CB," he shot back with a wink.

"Gross!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her brother, which he ducked clear of with a laugh.

"Nice try Freddie," I raised an eyebrow, throwing another pillow at him. He held his hands up in surrender and walked back towards the boy's area.

"My brother has a huge crush on you, and it is super gross," Ginny wrinkled her nose, turning to me.

I rolled my eyes, "No, he doesn't. It's just banter," I shrugged.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look before turning back to me, "Right." Hermione mused.

"Come on," I jumped down off the bunk, choosing to ignore them.

"I'm starving."

* * *

"Blimey Dad, how far up are we?" Ron huffed a few hours later as we all trudged up the many flights of stairs of the Quidditch arena. I didn't even want to think about the fact that we would have to walk back down again after, or that I probably should have gotten snacks before we decided to head to our seats.

"Well put it this way, if it rains, you'll be the first to know," a snide voice came from below before Mr Weasley could answer, and we looked down to see Lucius Malfoy and his son smirking up at us. The two were dressed to the nines as usual and looking very pleased with themselves. Nothing new.

"Father and I are in the Minister's box. By personal invitation, of Cornelius Fudge himself," the youngest Malfoy boasted, and I rolled my eyes - not surprised in the slightest at his attitude.

Lucius turned around abruptly and jabbed his son in the stomach with his cane "Don't boast Draco, there's no need with these…people," he looked at us with distaste. His eyes lingered on Harry and myself for a moment longer, and I frowned in return.

"Come on kids," Mr Weasley muttered, glaring slightly at the Malfoy's before he continued up the stairs, the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione following with last withering looks at the two blondes.

Lucius swung his cane out and stopped Harry just as the two of us turned to keep walking.

"Do try to enjoy yourself won't you, while you can," he smiled almost threateningly, before knocking into Draco's shoulder as he kept walking, throwing Draco off balance slightly.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Always pleasant, huh?" I nodded in agreement, starting to walk after Harry up the stairs.

"I thought I told you to start keeping better company Black," Malfoy's voice called up to me.

Harry stopped again, opening his mouth to retort but I shook my head, waving him on. I could deal with Draco Malfoy; I was used to it.

"What? Like you?" I scoffed, leaning on the railing with an eyebrow raised. "No thanks,"

"You're always better off sticking with your own kind," Malfoy shrugged, not fazed by my indifference. But then again, he never was.

I rolled my eyes, "Is this really how you want to start off our year Malfoy? I thought maybe we could have some peace in the Common Room this year,"

His face flicked into that signature smirk of his, "Where's the fun in peace?"

Then he turned and continued after his father and I raced up the stairs to catch up with my friends, trying to shake off that same confusion I always got after a conversation with him.

It wasn't even that he and I hated each other, I wouldn't go as far to say that. His problem was with Harry and the Gryffindors, which was what caused the most animosity between us, as there was no way I would ever stand by and watch someone treat my friends poorly.

But over the years we had sort of come to an understanding of each other, we butted heads all the time and I wouldn't necessarily call us friends, but we ran the same social circles. So, it was just easier to stay civil and have our little jabs at one another. It was almost like a game we had made up, always fighting to see who would win the next round.

Besides, anyone in Slytherin was a fool if they decided to make an enemy out of Draco Malfoy.

"Finally!" Harry exclaimed as I reached the top, realising we were in fact, very high up.

"What did Malfoy want?" he asked bitterly.

I rolled my eyes, "Just the usual Slytherin righteousness,"

"I'll never understand how you ended up in the same house as a git like him," Harry shook his head.

I shrugged, "They aren't all bad, not everyone is as pretentious as the Malfoy's."

Ron scoffed from Harry's other side, "Right."

I sighed, leaning over the railing as I listened to the excitement build in the stadium.

It's true that over the years since starting at Hogwarts there had always been this little weight hanging over me and my friends, the fact that I was sorted into Slytherin, and not Gryffindor. In hindsight, it wasn't that surprising, my whole family before me was Slytherin, with my father being the one exception.

I just don't think anyone had prepared themselves at first for the outcome that I might end up not following in his footsteps. Some part of me always wondered if maybe my father was disappointed and wondered why his daughter had been sorted the way I was.

But I had no ill feelings, I liked my house. Even if my friends weren't so fond of some of the company I kept.

Fred came up behind me and threw an arm around my shoulder, "Out of your head, you're gonna miss it!" I grinned up at him, as the Irish team suddenly flew right past our heads, causing all of us to yell out and duck.

"Told you these seats would be worth it!" Mr Weasley said excitedly as we all straightened up again.

"We had to be this high up," Fred smirked, looking at me mischievously, "Or Cassie wouldn't be able to see."

I groaned, "Really?"

"You should be proud, we've been here a whole day and that's the first joke any of us have made," Ron grinned, and I shot him a mock glare in return.

I was very used to the short jokes; I was only 5'4". It made for not only an abundance of jokes like the one Fred just made, but also being picked up or thrown around like I was a doll sometimes. I hated it.

"It's the Irish!" George exclaimed, drawing my attention back to the game.

We all watched as the team flew into the air and a large dancing leprechaun sparked to life, cheers erupting through the stadium.

"IRELAND, IRELAND, IRELAND!"

Joining in my friend's laughter and cheering, I found myself completely forgetting about Malfoy, and any other thoughts I'd been having. This was incredible.

"HERE COME THE BULGARIANS!" Fred yelled out, and George cheered as the team, decked in red, flew right through the leprechaun, which exploded into sparks.

We watched in amazement as the team flew like cannonballs, and one player broke away from the rest, performing tricks as he flew.

"Who's that?" Ginny asked in wonder.

"That sis is the best seeker in the world!" George exclaimed.

The crowd started to chant loudly "KRUM, KRUM, KRUM, KRUM!"

One whole side of the stadium changed to show the image of him flying, and everyone cheered as he stopped to acknowledge the crowd.

"KRUM!" Fred and George yelled out, and the group started to cheer, Hermione especially loudly, which caused me to laugh at the look on Ron's face.

"Good evening!" the clear voice of Cornelius Fudge rang out, sending the stadium into silence "As Minister for Magic, it gives me great pleasure, to welcome each and every one of you to the final of the 422nd, Quidditch World Cup! Let the match begin!" as Fudge sent out the light, the crowd erupted into cheers once more, and the match was on.

* * *

Later that night, the sounds of Irish music filled the tent, as Fred and George danced a jig and Ron and Harry chanted Krum's name to the beat. I laughed along with Hermione and Ginny as the twins started making noises along with the music.

"There's no one like Krum!" Ron suddenly announced.

"Krum?" Fred and George echoed back in funny voices.

"He's like a bird the way he rides the wind!" Ron continued, and Fred and George flapped around him.

"He's more than an athlete!" Ron declared as George threw his flag over Ron's head "He's an artist," he pulled the flag off.

"I think you're in love Ron," Ginny said dreamily, looking up at her brother with a grin.

"Shut up Ginny," Ron grumbled at her.

"Viktor, I love you, Viktor I do," Fred and George started to sing.

"When we're apart my heart beats only for you!" everyone else joined in with laughter.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on," George said as Fred and Ron started to wrestle playfully, hearing loud noises and cheers from outside.

"We'll show them pride!" Fred yelled, and I squealed as he hoisted me up onto his back without warning.

George and Ron cheered loudly as Fred started to race around the tent as I gripped on tight to him, laughing as he bounced around. We were stopped short when a stricken Mr Weasley re-entered the tent.

"Stop it!"

Fred let me down off his back, as we all looked wide eyed at the frazzled man in front of us.

"It's not the Irish."

Mr Weasley pushed us all out of the tent without another word, not even bothering to pack anything up. I gasped as we emerged back into the field, how had we not noticed what was happening? Tents were on fire, people were running and screaming through the smoke as it billowed all around us.

As we continued to push through the crowd, I could hear yelling and see flashes of curses flying and I felt my heart start to drop in my chest. Something was very, very, wrong. My hand reached for Harry's in the dark instinctively, and my eyes met his as we gripped onto each other tightly. He looked just as terrified as I was.

"Get to the portkey everyone, stick together!" Mr Weasley ordered, "Fred, George - Ginny is your responsibility."

Fred and George both grabbed hold of Ginny immediately before Fred turned to me, his eyes wide.

"Stay close, yeah?" he pleaded, and I nodded. As I moved to start following them, I felt myself tugged back slightly by Harry, who was still gripping onto my hand.

I turned to see him standing still, just looking around him in horror.

"Harry!" I squeezed his hand, and he turned to me, broken out of his trance, "We have to keep moving," I said, and he nodded before we both hurtled through the crowd without another word.

I could still make out the tall red-haired twins in front of us, and we hurried to try and catch up to them before we got left behind. People were running all around us, pushing into us and not taking the time to apologise or care which made it even more difficult for us to move at any kind of fast pace. It was no use, bit by bit they started to fade further and further away from us.

"Cass," Harry suddenly choked out, stopping dead again. I turned to berate him for stopping again when we were already nearly lost, but my mouth dropped open in horror before I could get anything out.

All around us a group of people wearing tall hoods and black cloaks marched among the chaos, as they were marching, they seemed to be chanting some sort of mantra and shooting random curses through the crowd.

"Who are they?" I whispered, not even sure if Harry could hear me. I felt like I couldn't move, I was paralysed with fear I had never felt before.

Before Harry even had a chance to respond, a curse hit the ground right in front of us, I screamed as we let go of each other and went flying in opposite directions. I fell to my knees on the ground and scrambled quickly to get up, whirling around and looking through the panicked crowd for my god-brother.

"HARRY!" I screamed out, but I couldn't see him anywhere and I could feel the panic starting to set in.

"HARRY!"

"CASS!"

I whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice but I couldn't see anything through the smoke and the curses still flying. I took off in a run in the direction I thought we had been heading, I just had to find that portkey and hope Harry would make it there as well. I ran and dodged through the people that remained, finally coming out on the other side of the smoke and trying to glimpse any sign of my friends.

"Shit," I cursed to myself when I realised there was nobody there, I was completely and utterly alone.

As I began to weigh up my options, a hand suddenly gripped around my arm and pulled me into the cover of the trees.

"What the fu-"

"Watch your language Black, you kiss your father with that mouth?" a familiar snide tone drawled into my ear.

I yanked my arm away and turned to glower at a smug Draco Malfoy standing next to me, looking quite pleased with himself considering the circumstances.

"What the hell Malfoy!?" I hissed at him.

"What, no thank you for saving you?" Malfoy snapped, a frown dropping onto his features.

"I didn't need to be saved; I'm trying to find my friends!" I glared at him.

"You stay out there you'll get yourself bloody killed!" he responded angrily.

"I don't care," I shot back, "Harry is out there somewhere, he could be in trouble!"

"Don't be daft Black, you're smarter than to stay out in an open field with a bunch of Death Eaters roaming around," Malfoy snorted, leaning against a nearby tree.

I felt myself pale as the realisation dawned on me, "Death Eaters?" I choked out.

He looked at me in confusion, "Surely you know what Death Eaters look like? I would have thought Saint Potter would be well educated on his enemies by daddy dearest."

My eyes travelled back towards the mass of burning tents and smoke, the image of the hooded figures entering my mind once again. Death Eaters. The Dark Lord's followers.

"But…" I breathed out, "Why…why would there be Death Eaters here? Vold-" I let out a shaky breath, "He's dead." I finished, my hands instinctively moving to grasp at the chain around my neck.

Malfoy didn't respond immediately, he just stared out at the empty field, a look in his eyes I couldn't quite read.

"I don't know," he eventually replied, meeting my eyes briefly, "Maybe they're bored?"

I scoffed, turning away from him, "Brilliant, even in times of crisis you're a complete ass."

"I still didn't hear any thank you for saving you," he pushed off the tree and walked closer to me.

"I told you I didn't need saving," I glowered back at him, "I need to go find Harry."

I turned to head out of the cover of the trees, but he grabbed my arm again, pulling me back.

"Quit it, Malfoy!" I hissed, yanking my arm away from him once again.

"You're the most ungrateful witch I've ever met," he growled back at me, crossing his arms.

"And you're the most egotistic ass I've ever met!" I shot back angrily.

He smirked, leaning against the tree once again, "If you wanted to talk dirty Black, all you had to do was ask."

I let out a quiet, frustrated scream. Out of all the people to be stuck hiding from Death Eaters with, he was not at the top of my list.

"If those are Death Eaters out there-"

"-they are-"

"-and Harry is out there somewhere by himself, don't you understand what kind of danger that might put him in?" I hissed out, stepping closer and glaring up at him.

Malfoy shrugged, "Not my problem, is it? Frankly, I don't see how it's yours either."

"Right," I snapped, "I would never expect anything less from a coward like you."

He stepped even closer to me, eyes narrowed, "I am not a coward," he growled.

I laughed bitterly, "Yes you are, and everyone knows it."

We stayed there for a moment, almost chest to chest, him glaring down at me, his grey eyes steeled.

Finally, he rolled his eyes once again and stepped back. "Whatever, go and find your precious Chosen One then. See if I care when you get yourself killed."

"I will," I responded indignantly. Turning swiftly on my heel, I made to head back out of the cover of the trees.

"I never expected you to act like such a Gryffindor, Black," Malfoy's voice called after me.

"Well as far as most of you lot are concerned that's where I belong anyway," I turned back to glare at him.

He frowned, looking a little offended at the accusation, "I've never thought you belong in Gryffindor."

I blinked in shock, "What?"

"You're nothing like them," he scoffed, "That's what makes you so insufferable. I can never quite figure out what to make of you."

"I didn't know you thought of me so much," I smirked, continuing to walk away from the blonde.

"Don't flatter yourself Black!"

I didn't respond, quickening my pace as I started to look urgently around for Harry, Hermione, or any of the Weasley's. I gasped when I saw a jet of green light shoot up in the sky just ahead of me and watched with wide eyes as it started to form into some sort of shape in the sky. I heard yelling in the distance, and instinctively ran towards it, that had to be Harry. If there was trouble, he was never far from it.

"Cassie!" a relieved cry stopped me in my tracks a few metres away, and I turned just in time to be pulled into Fred's chest as he hugged me tight.

"Holy Helga, Cass don't ever do that to me again," he murmured, breathing deeply.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into his chest, feeling relief start to wash over me as he finally pulled away.

"I turned around and all of a sudden you and Harry were gone," Fred explained, "By the time we got to the portkey we couldn't see either of you at all. Dad's been in bloody hysterics trying to find the two of you, especially since…" he trailed off, looking unsure.

"Those were Death Eaters?" I supplied weakly, and his eyes widened in shock.

"You knew?"

I shrugged weakly, "I guessed."

There wasn't any reason I needed to tell him Malfoy told me while we hid in a forest together. What was the point?

"Where's Harry then?" I looked around, spotting George standing with Ginny over to the left, before looking back at Fred in confusion.

"Um, we haven't found him yet," he confessed.

My eyes widened, "What?! So, he's still out there?" I felt the fear start to creep back into my body, he was still out there, with Death Eaters on the loose and whatever the hell that thing in the sky was. "I have to go find him!"

"NO!" Fred grabbed my arm before I could get anywhere, holding me still with wide eyes, "There is no way I am letting you go back out there,"

I was starting to get real sick of people telling me where I could and couldn't go.

"Someone has to find Harry; he could be in real danger Fred!" I exclaimed, feeling tears start to prick at my eyes.

"Ron and Hermione already ran off to find him, and Dad's looking for them now," Fred assured me gently, "It'll be-"

Before Fred could finish, we heard louder yelling ahead of us, and I took off running before he could stop me.

I felt relief wash over me when I finally saw Harry, flanked by Ron and Hermione, standing under the glow in the sky staring at it with wide eyes.

"HARRY" I cried, barrelling into him and gripping onto him tightly.

"Cass!" he hugged me back, "I thought I lost you. I am so sorry, that blast happened... and then you were just gone!"

"It's okay," I let out a shaky breath as we pulled away, "I was so worried about you."

"I'm fine, don't worry," he squeezed my hand reassuringly, looking confused as to why I was so shaken up.

"Harry, you don't understand," I breathed out, "Those men in the masks, they were Death Eaters." Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks, glancing back up at the mark in the sky once more.

Harry paled, "What?" I nodded, "But why?" he continued, "He's dead, why would his followers be here?"

"I don't know," I whispered, "But it isn't safe, we have to go."

Harry nodded, glancing back up at the sky, "Do you think that has to do with him too?"

I followed his eye line, finally seeing the shape of the glow more clearly. It was a large skull, with a snake coming out of its mouth, moving and slithering in the sky. It made a cold chill spread throughout my whole body.

"YOU! Stop there!"

The four of us whirled around, as a large group of men circled around us, wands raised.

"Which one of you conjured this!?" one of them waved his wand accusingly between us.

Our eyes widened, and we looked back at them in shock, they thought we did this?

"Sorry?" Harry managed to get out.

Suddenly, Mr Weasley appeared at our side, shooting us relieved but worried looks.

"You have been caught at the scene of the crime!" the same man yelled.

"Crime? What crime?" Harry frowned in confusion.

"Barty," Mr Weasley said gently, "They're just kids."

Barty - as Mr Weasley called him - slowly lowered his wand, the rest of the men following his lead.

"What crime?" Harry repeated more firmly.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "That's his mark."

I felt sick, there was no way his followers and his mark appearing in the one night didn't mean anything.

Harry paled slightly, before turning back to the man, Barty.

"There was a man before," he pointed, "There."

"Who, Harry?" Mr Weasley questioned quietly as the men ran off in the direction he had pointed.

"I couldn't see his face," Harry shrugged.

"Well, no matter," Mr Weasley said, "Come, we need to get going. Everyone at home will be worried out of their minds."

The four of us followed Mr Weasley back to where the twins and Ginny were waiting, but as we walked off, I couldn't help but look back at the ominous mark in the sky one more time. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.


	2. The Tri-Wizard Tournament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to anyone who has read already, this has been my baby for a while and I'm excited to finally be sharing it. As you can probably guess it's a little bit of my take on what it may have been like if James had lived, which also stops Sirius from going to Azkaban and what it may have been like if he'd had a kid of his own. Obviously this means a few things will be different than the original, so I hope you all enjoy it!

I jumped slightly as I heard a door slam somewhere from downstairs, before placing the last of my belongings into my trunk carefully. There had been nothing but arguments and slamming doors since we came back from the World Cup, and now we were all supposed to be heading back to Hogwarts tomorrow. James wasn't too thrilled on the idea of Harry going, which had led to a tense few days between Harry and his father.

"All done?" I turned, seeing my father standing in my doorway smiling softly.

"I think so," I smiled back, "Let me guess, you're trying to escape downstairs?"

He chuckled, "I know from experience it's always better to give James some space when he's like this."

"Do you really think he won't let him go?" I frowned. Even if we were in different houses, I couldn't imagine being at Hogwarts without Harry.

"He knows there is nowhere safer for him to be," my father shook his head, walking over to help me close my trunk. "But I think another part of him is just terrified to let him out of his sight," he glanced at me, and I could see the same worries in his eyes I'd been seeing in James's for days. I couldn't imagine what kind of horrible memories this would be bringing up for him, the last time all this had happened he lost someone he loved.

"I'll be fine, Dad," I fiddled with my necklace, "Harry's the one always getting himself into trouble, not me."

He smiled, looking at me with a twinkle in his eye, "And when have you not been there right behind him?"

I shrugged, "Someone has to stop him from getting himself killed."

We both laughed, before my dad frowned once again, "Promise me you'll be careful this year," he said seriously.

I sighed, tucking myself into his chest for a hug, "I always am Dad."

"I know," he murmured, holding me tight. "But we're entering into uncertain times, you need to make sure you put your trust in the right people."

I pulled away with a slight frown, meeting his concerned gaze, "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," he sighed after a moment of silence, "Just be smart this year, okay?"

I searched his face; I knew there was more he wanted to say but he was worried how I would react.

"I promise the only trouble I'll cause is a few harmless pranks," I joked, changing the subject.

He laughed loudly, shaking his head at me with a grin, "You are too much like me for your own good kid."

I smiled back, touching my necklace lightly out of habit, his face softening when he noticed.

"She'd be so proud of you Cass," he said quietly.

I let out a shaky breath, "I hope so."

"I know so," he responded firmly, and I smiled softly. "Now come on, we should get downstairs and buffer this eternal argument this whole bloody house seems to be stuck in."

I laughed, letting him wrap his arm around my shoulder as we headed down the stairs together.

* * *

"I can't believe your dad nearly wasn't gonna let you come," Ron shook his head, the four of us entering an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express the next morning.

"Do you blame him?" Hermione replied, sliding up to the window and glancing worriedly towards Harry as he sat across from her, "What happened wasn't a joke Ron."

"I'm not saying that," Ron argued, settling next to Harry. "I'm just saying there's no safer place than Hogwarts, especially with Dumbledore there."

"Which is exactly what everyone ended up convincing Dad," Harry sighed, turning to glance out the window.

"Well he is the only one who ever bested You-Know-Who," Hermione reminded us.

"Did Sirius say anything to you?" Harry turned to look at me, "You know, any warnings?"

Suddenly all my friend's attention was focused on me, making me frown. It seems my father wasn't the only one who had some concerns about my safety going into this year.

"Like what?" I narrowed my eyes slightly.

The three of them exchanged one of their usual looks that only they understood, making me roll my eyes at their complete lack of ability to ever be subtle.

"Just…" Hermione paused, trying to find the right words, "How it could be a little dangerous for you to be in Slytherin right now."

I scowled darkly, looking between them, "Well, it seems like everyone has a problem with me and my choice of friends this year," I glowered.

"Do you blame us for being sceptical?" Harry shot back, "Not like it would be a surprise if any of their parents happened to be under the cloaks that night."

"What-"

"Harry," Hermione said quietly, shaking her head slightly.

"Well, he ain't wrong, is he?" Ron shrugged sheepishly, looking between all of us nervously, "It's bound to be people like them."

People like them.

I glowered at my supposed friends; I was furious that they could ever even suggest something as cruel as they just had. Sure, I knew they weren't fond of the Slytherins I spent my time with, but I had at least hoped they thought I had some good judge of character.

"I never knew you two to be this prejudiced," I hissed, looking between Harry and Ron accusingly.

"Cassie, you know some of the company you keep isn't exactly morally well balanced," Hermione treaded over her words carefully, almost like she was trying to get me to see reason.

"You don't know them." I stated shortly, "I do. And you should be able to trust me and my judgement of what is 'morally well balanced', as you put it."

Hermione blushed slightly, sinking down in her seat a little.

"Like Parkinson?" Harry scoffed, "Or Malfoy?"

I rolled my eyes, "Malfoy and I aren't even friends, Harry. You know that! We just tolerate each other because it's easier. And Parkinson only is the way she is because she was raised that way, most of them were. That doesn't make them all bad! I mean, bloody hell Harry, what do you want me to do spend my 7 years of schooling alone in a dungeon with no friends?!" I exclaimed angrily.

"No of course not, but I just want you to make sure you can really trust them," he argued.

"I can," I said firmly, "Slytherins are known for being loyal to their own in case you'd forgotten."

"And what happens when you aren't one of their own anymore?" Harry demanded.

The four of us fell silent, the weight of Harry's statement hanging over us.

"I think maybe you're overreacting just a little bit," I said slowly, taking a deep breath, "It was one random attack."

"Nothing to do with him is ever random," he responded quietly, turning to look out the window.

I understood where Harry was coming from, I did. There had been too many supposed random incidents over the last few years for it to not feel like a pattern, it also didn't help that any time anything happened our parents went into overdrive. But I didn't blame them for that either, we all had a reason to fear what had happened that Halloween all those years ago. But I was still hurt at the suggestions the three of them had made. They had never gone that far with statements about my housemates before, I suppose that's what happens when fear takes over. Your true feelings come out.

"That doesn't mean you can just place the blame on people who had nothing to do with it," I said gently.

Harry sighed, realising he wasn't going to get anywhere with me. "Just promise you'll be wary?" he pleaded, turning to face me again, "Please?"

"I always am," I replied eventually, offering Harry a small smile, which he returned gratefully. It wasn't worth it to drag out the argument, I knew I would never really be able to convince them. But this conversation also leads down a path I don't think I was quite ready to explore yet. Did they think of me in the same way they thought of the rest of my house? Sometimes it felt like I was on two sides of a battle that hadn't even started yet, and I wasn't sure I was ready yet to have to choose a side.

Clearing my throat quietly, I stood up, "I might go and change into my robes, try and find some of the others."

"Cass, you don't have to go," Hermione said, looking slightly guilty.

"Yeah, we're sorry, please stay," Harry pleaded.

I smiled at them reassuringly, "No, it's not that. I just should find them before we get to Hogwarts that's all."

"Okay," Harry sighed, still looking a little put out.

"I'll see you after the feast," I promised, giving them one more smile before I headed out of the compartment.

As I headed down the train, I tried not to dwell on the eerily similar conversations I'd had with both my dad and my friends. Surely this World Cup fiasco wasn't really going to affect everyone that much? In all the years since Harry had somehow defeated Lord Voldemort, even though we'd had two encounters with different forms of the dark wizard himself, there had never been an attack by any of his followers. Most people just assumed he didn't even have any left, what did they have to follow anyway? The thought brought back that feeling of dread I'd felt that night, and I didn't like it.

"Oi, Black!"

I looked up, pulled out of my thoughts, grinning when I saw Blaise Zabini standing just ahead of me, an equally as big a grin on his face.

"Zabini!" I responded happily, "I was just coming to look for you lot!"

"I'd hope so, don't you think you've spent enough time with those bloody Gryffindor's over the summer?" he winked, before pulling me into a hug big enough to lift me off the ground. Blaise was one of my closest friends at Hogwarts, we had met the very first day when we got sorted and been inseparable ever since. I liked Blaise because he wasn't as prejudiced, or cold-hearted as most Slytherins you met, mostly due to his strained relationship with his mother. He didn't want to turn out anything like her.

"I swear to Salazar if one more person tries to give me a hard time about who I'm friends with today, I'll curse them," I frowned as he pulled back.

Blaise snorted, "Aren't you used to that by now?"

"Feels a bit different these days," I muttered. Blaise met my eyes, and I knew he understood what I was referring to.

"Come on," he said, ushering me down the carriage, "Everyone's down here."

"How was your summer anyway?" I questioned him as we walked.

He rolled his eyes, "Mum got a new husband,"

"Again?" my mouth dropped open, before I looked at him sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

Blaise shrugged, "It's whatever, I pretty much expect it at this point,"

"What's he like?" I asked, as he opened the door to a compartment.

"He's an arse," he responded simply, making me laugh. That's what he said about all of them.

"Found myself a stray," Blaise announced as we stepped inside, "Can we keep her?"

"I don't know," Madilyn Onyx smirked, "Looks a bit feral to me."

I grinned back at my best friend, "Swear I won't bite."

I heard a snort and turned to see Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott occupying the seats across from Madi, the snort having come from the latter.

"That is not true, and you know it Black," Theo remarked.

I pouted, "I have only ever bitten when provoked."

"Just needs more training," Blaise ruffled my hair, laughing when I pushed him away, "I think it's doable."

"You four have issues," Daphne stated, shaking her head at our antics.

I stuck my tongue out at her slightly as I sat down next to Madi, Blaise settling down on her other side next to the window. Much like Blaise, I'd met Madilyn Onyx our first day and we'd been best friends ever since, nobody quite understood me like Madi did, not even Harry. She came from a Pureblood family like most in Slytherin but was raised mostly by her Grandmother as her parents never really cared enough to want to dedicate themselves to raising her. So, while her parents were Slytherin legacies and she herself was of course sorted there as well, her Grandmother had been a Ravenclaw. She knew a little about feeling out of place, or between two worlds as she sometimes put it. She and Blaise had decided to start dating towards the end of last year, which had my full support. They were two of my favourite people in the world, so in my eyes they're perfect for each other.

Daphne and Theodore were also two of my good friends. Theodore was one of the most sensible people I knew, which was exactly what we needed most of the time. And while sometimes Daphne could be a little stuck up and succumb to Slytherin and pureblood prejudices, she was never one to stand by and let someone insult anyone she cared about, which I admired her for.

"So, how spooked were your lot after the World Cup?" Blaise leaned forward a little so he could look at me.

I sighed, "I honestly thought Harry wouldn't be on this train right now at one point."

"Yikes," he muttered, and I nodded in agreement.

"I heard you saw it," Madi said quietly, "The mark."

The rest of our compartment fidgeted uncomfortably; these were the sort of topics we always tried to avoid. It was hard when there were so many different loyalties in play.

"What does it even mean?" I frowned, looking between them, "I didn't even know they were Death Eaters until Malfoy told me."

"You saw Malfoy?" Theo asked in confusion.

"He accosted me, something about me being daft for staying out in the open," I rolled my eyes.

"He's not wrong," Blaise muttered, and I saw Daphne and Madi exchange a look at my mention of seeing Malfoy that I chose to ignore.

"The mark?" I reminded.

"Well," Theo said quietly, "It usually gets cast when someone's dead,"

"Then it doesn't make any sense," I shook my head, "No one died, so why cast it?"

"Maybe someone was sending a message?" Madi offered, "Trying to start something?"

I sighed, "I just have a bad feeling about it all."

"I don't think many people have a good one," Daphne placed a hand on my knee comfortingly.

"Bloody glad you're here though," Blaise remarked, swiftly breaking the edge in the room.

"Well someone has to keep us all entertained," I smirked mischievously, eliciting a groan from Theodore.

"Please. I beg you, no more pranks," he pleaded.

I winked in reply, which obviously didn't reassure him much as he leant his head back on the seat in defeat.

"You spend too much time with those Weasley twins," Madi shook her head, "They've corrupted you."

"Please," Blaise scoffed, "She's always been corrupted."

He laughed as I threw a discarded magazine Daphne had been reading at his head, narrowly missing him as he ducked. He immediately picked it back up from the floor and threw it back at me, the whole compartment suddenly erupting into a full-blown game of duck and cover.

* * *

"Did anyone else have any clue to what that hideous carriage and ship were all about?" Daphne questioned, sat across the table from me as we all started piling food onto our plates.

The sorting had been long and dull as usual, to be honest I hadn't really been paying much attention. Daphne's question was what pulled me out of my little trance.

"All I know is the carriage almost ran over Hagrid," Lillian Moon giggled from where she sat at Daphne's right. I'd always gotten along well with Lillian, she was close to Daphne, so often spent time with our little group.

"Too bad it missed," Malfoy smirked from where he was sitting next to Theodore, who was on Daphne's other side.

I glared at him in return, only making him smirk more.

"Maybe they've brought in some more house elves to keep you company, Black," Pansy Parkinson teased from Draco's left.

I rolled my eyes, "Really? Starting with a short joke? You're better than that Parkinson."

Pansy just shrugged, still looking quite pleased with herself as everyone else chuckled.

"Nice to know everyone has the humour of a five-year-old," I glared between my friends.

"It's not our fault, they're easy and effective," Madi giggled, bumping me slightly with her shoulder.

"Traitors," I mumbled.

I let my eyes drift around the Great Hall as my friends continued to discuss the mysterious ship and carriage. As usual the hall was decorated with all the house colours, excited chatter and catch up about the summer filling the room. My eyes led me to the Gryffindor table, where I saw Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's all sitting together. Fred caught me looking, his face breaking into a massive grin before he waved at me happily, which I returned with a quiet laugh.

"Fraternising with the enemy as usual, Black?"

I groaned quietly, my focus returning to the table as I heard the unmistakable voice of Gorgia Avery. I turned to see her sitting a few seats down, flanked by the Carrow twins and Millicent Bulstrode as usual.

"And here I thought I might get through one meal without the sound of your voice making me feel ill," I responded, smiling fake sweetly at her.

"Cassie…" Daphne warned quietly. My friends were always telling me not to provoke Gorgia, not that I ever listened. She was awful, and for some reason ever since first year had made it her mission to make me miserable.

"Thought you might have gotten hurt during that whole World Cup fiasco," Gorgia simply smirked in response, "Thank Salazar you're alright."

I felt both Blaise and Madi tense next to me, but I shot them both quick assuring looks. It would take a lot more than that for that witch to get to me.

"Thought you might have learned some class over break, I suppose some things are just impossible," I sighed.

Both Lillian and Pansy coughed to cover their laughter, as Gorgia turned a deep shade of red.

"You little-"

Before Gorgia could get her threat out, the hall suddenly quietened as Dumbledore rose at the podium. I shot her a small triumphant smirk, before turning my attention to the Headmaster, feeling her continue to glare daggers at me.

"Now that we're all settled and sorted," Dumbledore began, his calm voice capturing everyone's attention as usual, "I'd like to make a few announcements."

"As ever, I wish to remind everyone that the forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

I gasped, as did many people sitting around me, "What!?"

I glanced towards the Gryffindor table once again and saw Harry looked just as appalled as me.

"This is due to a special event that will be taking up much of your teacher's time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. You see, the castle will not only be your home this year, but home to some very special guests as well," the Headmaster continued.

Pansy gasped, "It is some elf friends for you, Black!" I shot her withering look as our table struggled to contain their giggles.

"Shh!" Theodore whispered harshly, "Snape is watching us, we can't lose any bloody points already." I moved my gaze over to where our Head of House was indeed watching us, eyes narrowed.

"You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event, the Tri-Wizard Tournament!"

Whispers and murmurs immediately started, recognition dawning on some of my friends faces. Most of them probably knew exactly what that was considering their extensive family lines. Dumbledore didn't seem fazed by the noise level rise, continuing his speech.

"Now, for those of you that do not know, the Tri-Wizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single champion is chosen to compete."

"You should put your name in, Draco," Gorgia said immediately, and I snorted as I saw Malfoy straighten up at the suggestion, causing him to glare at me.

"Now let me be clear," Dumbledore's voice dropped to a much more serious tone, "If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint of hearted."

"There goes Malfoy's chances," Blaise smirked, all of us trying our best to contain our laughter once again as Malfoy shifted his glare to the other boy.

"So, without further ado. Please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their Headmistress, Madame Maxime," Dumbledore announced, and we all turned as the doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal the most beautiful group of girls I had ever laid eyes on.

We all watched with wide eyes as they danced and tumbled their way elegantly down the aisles. I exchanged withering looks with the girls sitting around me, you could practically see the pools of drool in front of the boys. Right as they reached the front, the ladies released butterflies into the air before standing gracefully in a line along the front of the hall. The hall erupted in thunderous applause, mostly from the boys, some standing up and wolf-whistling along with the cheers.

"Someone kill me now," Pansy gagged, and I nodded in agreement.

"Tell me Blaise is not still staring," Madi muttered to me darkly, and my eyes flickered to the dark-haired boy next to me, who was in fact still blatantly staring at the Beauxbatons girls. I shot her an apologetic look, and she rolled her eyes in return.

"I'll hex him in his sleep if he keeps that up."

"And now our friends from the North, please meet the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their high-master Igor Karkaroff!" Dumbledore's announcement once again drew our attention back to the entryway.

The doors opened once again, and excited whispers sprung up throughout the girls of our table as a group of incredibly attractive, muscly men began to march down the aisles. They hammered staffs on the ground, letting out deep chants as they did so, making their way down the hall before one of them breathed a phoenix of fire. Finally, two extra men made their way through the door, even more excited murmurs echoing through the hall as one of them was instantly recognised.

"That's Viktor Krum!" Millicent squealed excitedly.

"Oh, I would ride him like a broomstick," Tracey Davis remarked.

"Come on, Davis," Theodore wrinkled his nose as the rest of us girls burst into giggles.

I noticed the boys probably looked just as pleased with the arrival of the Durmstrang boys as us girls had been at their reaction to the Beauxbatons ladies. Oh well, at least it was fair.

"I'm definitely going to enter," Malfoy announced, obviously trying to bring the attention away from the new arrivals.

"You couldn't even stop yourself getting kicked by a Hippogriff last year," I rolled my eyes, "Do you really think you'd stand a chance?"

"Probably no point anyway, as soon as good old Boy Wonder enters no one else will stand a chance. He'll get that handed to him on a platter too," he crossed his arms, seemingly satisfied with his response.

Blaise snorted from next to me, and I shot him a glare, which he shrugged in return to, "Come on, he's not wrong there."

I chose to ignore them both, shoving dessert into my mouth angrily instead.

"Your attention, please." I turned to face the front once again at Dumbledore's voice, noticing an elaborately designed tower, obviously concealing something from view.

"I'd like to say a few words. Eternal Glory – that is what awaits the student who wins the Tri-Wizard Tournament. But to do this, you must complete three extremely dangerous tasks. For this reason, the Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain this, we have the head of the Department of International Magic Co-Operation: Mr. Bartimus Crouch t-"

Before Dumbledore could finish, the enchanted sky of the Great Hall suddenly erupted in lightning, the blasts almost hitting some of the floating candlesticks. A loud boom of thunder followed, causing me and a few of my fellow housemates to jump. Frightened yells and screams started echoing around the Hall, no one quite knowing what to do or how to react. Suddenly, a wand lit up from the top corner of the room and flashed towards the ceiling. I felt my mouth drop open in shock at how quickly the unexplained storm stopped and strained to catch a glimpse of whoever it was that had stopped it.

A man emerged from the shadows; he was tall, and walked with a bad limp, using a cane to support himself. Most disturbingly, one of his eyes looked like it was fake, and it spun unnervingly in his socket.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" Madi whispered.

"That's Mad-Eye Moody." Hestia Carrow remarked, "Used to work for the Ministry as an Auror. Went batshit crazy though so they had to let him go."

I watched as he moved towards Dumbledore, the older wizard greeting him with a handshake and talking lowly to him.

"Reckon he's the new Dark Arts professor?" Theodore questioned.

"I hope not," Pansy stuck her nose up, "Would be nice to have a normal professor after last year."

I didn't miss the pointed look she shot me, glaring right back at her at the mention of Lupin. The man who had accused us of casting the Dark Mark at the cup stepped up to the podium, who I now assumed was Mr Crouch.

"After much consideration, the Ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forward their name for the Tri-Wizard Tournament." The hall immediately erupted with yells of protest and outrage, I snuck look at Malfoy and smirked to myself when I caught the quick look of relief pass over his features before he put on a look of outrage as the table turned to look at him.

"THAT'S RUBBISH!" I heard Fred and George yelling from across the room, "THAT'S RUBBISH, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

"How hard do you think they'll try to find a way around this, then?" Madi smirked at me.

"Ugh, don't. They spent their whole summer inventing material meant for these situations exactly," I groaned.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore's usually docile voice boomed, ceasing the growing outrage as everyone fell silent once more.

He waved his wand over the tall tower, revealing a large ornate goblet underneath, which billowed out a blue flame once fully uncovered.

"The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame. The names will be drawn on Hallowe'en night. Do not do so lightly," he emphasized his last words, pausing to let the weight of his warning set in. "If chosen there is no turning back. As from this moment, The Tri-Wizard Tournament has begun."

"He's always quite dramatic, isn't he?" Daphne remarked as we all stood from the table and started to head out of the Great Hall.

"Who do you reckon will enter?" Lillian asked.

"Someone with a death wish," Theodore snorted.

"Lucky they put in the age restriction then," Madi smirked, "Otherwise Potter definitely would have entered."

I groaned, "Thank Salazar, I know too many idiotic Gryffindor's who are under seventeen who would have loved this,"

"Well it will be nice for our lives to not be revolving around Saint Potter for once," Malfoy quipped, I turned to tell him to shut it, but before I could get the words out I was distracted by someone yelling my name from behind us.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Blaise muttered darkly, and I shot him a look before stopping to greet Harry, Ron and Hermione. Most of my little group shot the three Gryffindors the usual dirty looks before they kept walking, but Madi and Daphne stopped to wait a little way down the corridor for me.

"This whole tournament is crazy, right?" Hermione was frowning, and I didn't miss the exaggerated eye roll from Ron at her obvious disapproval.

"Sounds like it could be entertaining," I shrugged.

"I just think it's ridiculous to put on something so dangerous, especially at a time like this," Hermione huffed.

"You just hate anything that's fun," Ron snorted, and Hermione turned to him, looking affronted.

"That's just rude Ronald – and untrue!"

I stifled a giggle, tuning the ongoing argument out as I turned to Harry, whose face let me know this was probably not Ron and Hermione's first argument of the night.

"What do you think then?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Seems like a good distraction from everything that's been happening."

I nodded in agreement, "Age restriction is controversial."

Before Harry could respond, I felt an arm thrown around my shoulder and tried to duck out of the way as Fred ruffled my hair.

"Controversial? I'd say outrageous!"

"Bloody oath," George agreed, "I think this was right up our alley, don't you agree Fred?"

"Aye, aye Georgie."

I laughed, pulling myself out of Fred's grip as I started to head down the corridor, noticing my two friends starting to get impatient. "Come on Fred, can't have you dying on me, can we?"

"Why, would you miss me?" he yelled back with a wink.

"More than anything in the world!" I called over my shoulder, waving to the group of them as I started the walk down to the dungeons.

"What was that all about?" Daphne asked curiously as we climbed into the Common Room.

"What?" I frowned, looking at her in confusion.

"Your obvious flirting with Fred Weasley," Madi scoffed as we walked into our dorm.

"Her what?" Pansy exclaimed in horror, and I groaned as I sat crossed legged on my bed, the rest of my dorm's attention now eagerly focused on me.

"That's a new one," Tracey mused.

"We were not flirting," I rolled my eyes.

"Please," Daphne laughed, pulling her nightgown out of her trunk, "Maybe you weren't, but he definitely was."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?! Fred and I are just friends!" I fell back on my bed, covering my face with a pillow. First Ginny at the cup, and now Madi and Daphne? Surely there was no chance Fred was flirting with me, and I definitely wasn't flirting back.

"I beg of you Black," Pansy practically gagged, "Do not date a Weasley." The only way I could describe the relationship I had with Pansy Parkinson was frenemies. We got along for the most part, but a lot of the time she was just, well…Pansy. She was prejudiced, and often cruel, and was always right behind Malfoy causing my friends in Gryffindor grief. But she never really found much reason to have a problem with me, and if it wasn't aimed at people I cared about, I usually found her jabs at people funny. It was much like my odd relationship with Malfoy, we got along as well as we could because it was easier that way.

"Oh, I don't know," Lillian grinned, "It could be entertaining, star-crossed lovers and all."

"Don't encourage her," Daphne shook her head like a disapproving mother, Lillian only rolling her eyes in return.

"Did no one listen to anything I said?" I removed the pillow, looking over at Madi in the bed next to me in confusion.

"Do we ever?" she teased.

"No," I grumbled, "That's what makes you all so insufferable."

"Oh please, you know you missed us, Cass," Daphne winked, before heading out to the bathroom.

The rest of my dorm mates all laughed as I continued to sulk in my bed while they continued getting ready for bed. But I couldn't deny what Daphne had said, I really had missed them.

* * *

"Goddammit!" I cursed to myself the next morning as I raced out of the dorm, hurriedly trying to do my tie as I went. I was late, and it was only the first day. Silently cursing my friends for not waking me up, I ran as fast as I could towards the Great Hall.

"Black!"

I groaned, stopping dead in my tracks and turning to see Professor Snape staring at me disapprovingly.

"Morning Professor."

"Running late are we?" Snape drawled.

"To be fair sir, I think I would have made it if you hadn't stopped me," I shrugged lightly.

"Hmm," Snape raised an eyebrow, "Still, let's not start the year on the wrong foot Miss Black. Do hurry, but please, for everyone's safety. Slow down."

I gave him a relieved smile, turning and walking as fast I could the rest of the way to the hall. Finally reaching the doors, I headed straight for the Slytherin table and plonked down next to Madi.

"You look frazzled," Pansy observed, giggling.

"Yeah, thanks a lot for waking me up," I glared back, finally managing to fix my tie. "And I got called up by Snape!"

"Stunning morning you've had," Madi chortled, sipping her juice.

"Don't start with me, Onyx," I warned, grabbing a piece of toast and biting into it angrily. I was not a morning person. As I glanced around, I noticed the boys from Durmstrang had taken to sitting at our table, and that the Beauxbatons girls had taken place with the Ravenclaws.

"Geez, you are in a bad mood," Blaise muttered from next to his girlfriend.

I responded by letting my head fall onto the table with a thud.

"Stop being so dramatic, Black," Malfoy snapped, and I lifted my head to glare at him across the table.

"I am not in the mood for you this morning," I warned, he simply smirked in response, which only infuriated me more.

"Why did you oversleep, anyway?" Lillian asked innocently, reaching across Pansy to grab the jam, "Too busy dreaming of a certain red-head?"

Daphne, Madi and Tracey immediately fell into giggles, and Lillian ignored the filthy look I sent her way, continuing to spread jam on her toast as if nothing had happened.

"What?" Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"What red-head?" Theo echoed.

"Are you pleased with yourself, Moon?" I groaned. The last thing I needed was all my friends thinking I had feelings for a Gryffindor, let alone a Weasley.

"I feel like we missed something," Blaise commented, and Theodore nodded in agreement.

"Just Cassie's obvious flirting with Fred Weasley," Daphne smirked.

"That's disgusting, I'm trying to eat here," Malfoy snapped.

"Why do you have to be such a gossip all the time, Greengrass?" I scowled.

"Ugh, where the bloody hell is Snape with the schedules?" Pansy thankfully interrupted before the conversation could progress any further, craning her neck to stare down the table.

"Just be patient," Daphne said coolly, shooting me a quick glare to let me know she was not pleased with my earlier comment.

"Patient is not in Parkinson's vocabulary," Malfoy snorted.

"You would know," Theodore muttered under his breath, and he shrugged innocently in response.

"Sod off, both of you," Pansy muttered, elbowing Malfoy in the side before her eyes lit up again as she saw Snape heading towards us.

"Nott…Parkinson…Zabini…Malfoy…Onyx…Black…" I picked up the schedule as it dropped in front of me, starting to scan through it.

Pansy let out a groan, "Please tell me I suddenly can't read, and we do not have double History of Magic first this morning,"

"Not so eager now are you?" Theodore chuckled.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss Parkinson," I shrugged, "I see an opportunity."

"For what?" Madi looked at me curiously.

Blaise groaned, "Never ask her what she means when she sees an opportunity."

"Extra sleep," Malfoy quipped before I could respond, "Have you ever seen her awake for an entire History of Magic class?"

"Have you been watching me sleep?" I raised an eyebrow, "That's a little creepy Malfoy."

The first bell of the day rang, our group laughing at my last jab at Malfoy, who was not as amused. We all stood and started heading out of the Great Hall towards History of Magic.

"What an awful day ahead," Pansy continued to complain as we walked, "First this, then we have to listen to that useless oaf for an hour."

I rolled my eyes, choosing not to respond to her jab about Hagrid. It was not worth the argument, the Slytherins would always hate him.

"The day hasn't even started and I'm already sick of your complaining, Parkinson," Blaise snapped, sitting next to Madi as we arrived at class.

"How long do you think before he cracks this year?" Theodore muttered to me as we slid into the table behind them.

"As long as it doesn't involve any more spoons being thrown at my head, I don't care," I responded, and Theodore chuckled at the memory.

Professor Binns floated in through the blackboard, signalling the start of class. I let out a sigh, resting my head on my arms.

"Wake me up when this class is interesting,"

Theo snorted, "You'll be asleep forever."

"Works for me, be much more peaceful," Malfoy chimed in from across us. I didn't bother responding, tuning out the monotone drawl of Binns and letting my eyes close.

* * *

Later, after a sleep-filled two hours with Binns, and an always interesting but slightly gross Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid; my friends and I were sat in the Great Hall again, just finishing up lunch.

"I will never get the bloody smell of those stupid Skrewts out of my nostrils," Daphne was whining.

"Did you hear apparently we're working with pus in Herbology, too?" Pansy exclaimed in horror.

"Again," Malfoy said, his fork halfway to his mouth, "I am trying to eat here."

"Now you know how I feel looking at you across the table every morning," I replied, smiling at him innocently. He glared back, finally putting his fork in his mouth and chewing angrily.

"Stop flirting with everyone Black, you'll start to get a reputation," Blaise smirked.

Malfoy choked on the food in his mouth, and I practically gagged, "That is not funny, Zabini."

"I have some standards," Malfoy snapped.

"Barely," Theodore snorted, his eyes flitting to Gorgia sitting several seats down the table. I tried not to barf at the thought of the two of them together, even Parkinson was a better choice.

"Why does everyone suddenly have such a keen interest in my love life, anyway?" I questioned, crossing my arms.

"Maybe we just don't want you to die a virgin," Lillian smirked, eliciting a few laughs.

"You should all mind your own business," I muttered, ducking my head to hide the traitorous blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"Thinking about Weasley?" Tracey grinned, and I let out a frustrated noise before standing up and storming out of the Hall, hearing them all laughing behind me.

"Cass!"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," I muttered, stopping just outside the Hall and seeing Fred himself heading towards me, a big grin on his face.

"Fancy running into you, come here often?"

I laughed, walking up to meet him, "No, it's my first time."

"Ah," his eyes twinkled, "Well, that's alright I can show you the ropes. You'll be safe with me."

Oh my god, am I blushing again? What the hell. My stupid friends are getting to me. I studied Fred subtly, there was no way that the way he acted around me was anything more than just banter. I had never thought of it as anything other than that, but the more people telling me it was something else the more I was thinking about it.

"Cass?" I was broken out of my trance by his question.

"What?"

Fred chuckled, "You went somewhere else for a second then,"

I laughed awkwardly, "Sorry."

"You're being weird," he raised an eyebrow, stepping towards me slightly.

"No, I'm not," I stepped back a little.

"Yes, you are," Fred studied me, looking confused.

"Can I ask you something?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Always."

I opened my mouth, but before I could get the words out, I heard the doors open again behind me and my friends poured out, all stopping when they saw me standing with Fred.

"Better hurry Black," Madi called down, grinning, "Don't want to get caught being late twice in one day!"

The rest of the girls were all whispering to each other, and I saw Malfoy roll his eyes before he, Theo and Blaise kept walking.

"Later?" I turned back to Fred; eyes wide.

His eyes moved between my still whispering friends and then back to me, "Of course."

I shot him one last grateful smile before running over to my friends, shoving Madi when I reached them.

"Assholes!"

They just continued to laugh, pushing me down the hall and continuing to tease me about Fred.

By the time Madi, Daphne and I had separated from the other girls and climbed into the Divination tower, I was more than happy to stop and talk to Ron and Harry. At least they weren't constantly telling me I was flirting with Fred.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy to see you two."

"Thank you?" Ron frowned in confusion.

"I feel like I've barely seen you at all," Harry said.

"I saw you in magical creatures," I frowned.

"Yeah, but you spent the whole class with them," Harry tilted his head towards the top rows, where I knew that Daphne and Madi had gone.

I sighed, not replying, and Harry's face softened a little.

"You should sit with us at dinner."

I nodded, "Yeah, I might actually." Maybe that would give me a chance to talk to Fred.

Professor Trelawney breezed into the room, "Everyone please be seated, and we shall begin!"

I gave the two of them one last smile before heading up the stairs and sitting down next to Madi.

"Today, my dears, we will consider the stars and movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal."

* * *

"That bloody old bat, that homework will take all weekend it will!" Ron complained around an hour later, stuffing food angrily into his mouth as he did so.

"Professor Vector hardly gave us any at all," Hermione boasted, "It's your own fault for continuing to take her ridiculous class."

I exchanged an amused look with Harry, "It's just an easy grade, Hermione."

She turned to me, horrified, "That's even worse!" she exclaimed, before going back to shovelling her food into her mouth almost as fast as Ron.

"So, you've gone from not eating at all, to eating as fast as you possibly can?" Harry asked, eyeing her warily.

"I've got to get to the library, loads to do," Hermione replied.

"But you just said Professor Vector-"

"It's not schoolwork," she finished her last mouthful, standing up.

"Oh, hi Hermione – bye Hermione!" Fred said, sliding into her vacated seat as she rushed out of the Great Hall.

I moved a little to the left, realising he had sat rather close to me. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, smirking like he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Nice to see you've decided to join us on the better table this evening."

"I was beginning to think we'd lost you for good," George agreed, sliding in across from Fred.

I sighed, they all liked to joke or make little jabs at me about how I spread my time between them and my house. Most of the time it was in good fun, but sometimes it felt a little more serious. I tried to sit with them as much as I could, but it never really encouraged me when half the Gryffindor table glared at me for even daring to.

"Never, you'd die of boredom without me George."

"Too right," he agreed, shooting me a little wink.

"Didn't you have Defence today?" Harry chimed in, looking between the twins in interest. Mad-Eye Moody had been the talk of the school since last night, everyone eager to see what his lessons would be like.

"We've never had a lesson like it," Lee Jordan said from next to George, the twins nodding in agreement.

"He just knows man," Fred said.

"Knows what?" Ron mumbled through a mouthful of potatoes, and I looked at him in disgust.

"What it's like to be out there doing it, fighting the dark arts," Fred shrugged.

"Amazing," Lee grinned.

Ron reached into his bag, scrambling for his timetable. Fred leaned past me to grab a bread roll, his arm brushing mine as he did. I jumped like I'd been shot, and he tried to hide his grin as he moved back into position. What the hell was wrong with me?!

"We don't have him til Thursday afternoon!" Ron moaned.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation, my eyes drifting over to the Slytherin table where I saw Daphne, Madi, Tracey and Lillian all smirking at me, and how close I was sitting to Fred. I narrowed my eyes, silently warning them not to say anything, which only made them all start whispering and giggling to each other.

"Who are you trying to murder with your eyes over there?" Fred whispered, and I jumped again.

"No one."

"You're very jumpy today," he mused. I flicked my eyes back over to look at him, seeing him staring at me intensely.

"Am I?" I mumbled.

"Very unlike you," he responded, "Don't think I've ever had this many weird conversations with you."

"They haven't been weird," I said quickly, risking another quick glance at him before staring intently back down at my plate.

"You'll tell me when you're ready," Fred sighed, continuing to eat like nothing had happened.

"What are you two whispering about?" Harry asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

"Just filling her in on our brilliant plan to get our names in that goblet," Fred said brightly.

Ron groaned, "Please, no more. I've heard enough!"

The others laughed, and I joined in for a moment before trailing off again. I snuck another look at Fred from the corner of my eye, maybe there was more going on than I had thought.

* * *

Later, I was sat at the tables in our Common Room with Madi and Blaise, starting on the already ridiculous pile of homework we had been given. Malfoy was sat on the couch not far from us, ignoring Gorgia as she babbled on about something he obviously had no interest in, yet she kept talking like she believed he was listening. Theodore was sat on his other side, head in his hand looking like he was mentally convincing himself not to commit murder in the Common Room.

"So," Madi said quietly, pulling me out of my book.

"How was your dinner?"

I groaned softly, my eyes moving to the couches hoping she hadn't attracted any attention with her question.

"Don't start with me."

"The two of you looked very cosy together," Madi continued, closing her book and crossing her legs, her full attention now focused on me.

"Leave it alone babe," Blaise murmured, not looking up from what he was writing.

Madi ignored him, "Come on Cass," she pushed, "It's just us."

I looked at her for a moment, and she raised an eyebrow, challenging me. I sighed, closing my own book. Madi grinned eagerly, Blaise putting down his quill and focusing his full attention on me as well.

"I think, maybe," I emphasized the 'maybe', not wanting to get Madi too excited. "I might have some sort of feelings for Fred I hadn't noticed before."

Madi let out a squeal of excitement, and I shushed her angrily, noticing Malfoy and Theo both look over at us curiously, and Gorgia glaring like we'd insulted her.

"Be subtle Onyx!"

"Not one of her strongest traits," Blaise chuckled, earning him a small glare from his girlfriend.

"I knew it!" Madi hissed, hitting the table a couple of times excitedly.

"Madi!" I warned again, and she stopped, looking sheepish.

"Sorry," she whispered, "I'm just so happy for you!"

"I never said I was going to do anything about it!" I said, opening my book again and avoiding her gaze.

"Oh, come on," Blaise groaned, "We finally get you to admit it and now you're too much of a baby to do anything about it?"

I glared at him, "It's too much of a risk! I don't even know for sure how strong the feelings are, and what if it all blows up? Or he doesn't feel the same? Besides, can you imagine how the others will react if I do decide to date him? He's a Gryffindor, and a Weasley. Teasing me about it is one thing, but actually being with him? That's a completely different story." I hated that what anyone else thought even had anything to do with it, but I could only imagine the types of things some of my housemates would say.

"First of all," Madi said softly, "He feels the same. And secondly, since when have you ever given a damn what anyone thinks?" But even she knew I was right about the second part. As much as she, Blaise and I tried not to get pulled into the stereotypes and prejudice, sometimes it felt unavoidable.

"It's still a risk," I said quietly, "I don't want to mess it up and then lose him as a friend, he's too important to me. Maybe that's why I've been denying it all this time."

Madi smiled, reaching over and squeezing Blaise's hand affectionately.

"Sometimes it's worth the risk."

I looked between my two friends with a soft smile, considering Madi's words. She was right, they had been friends first and now they were the best couple I knew. But was I as confident as them in taking that risk? I sighed, burying my head back into my homework and trying to forget all the thoughts of Fred that kept popping into my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter pretty much introduced all the characters that'll be present throughout, the usual Slytherin gang plus a couple of characters of my own (Madi/Gorgia). I hope you enjoyed, all the exciting stuff will start to pick up soon once the Tournament gets underway!


	3. Mad-Eye Moody

I managed to avoid Fred quite successfully for the rest of the week, only managing to see him across crowded hallways and running the other way if he ever got too close. It was childish, but all I could think about doing right now.

By the time Thursday came around there was a major buzz surrounding our first Defence Against the Dark Arts class. It was the earliest we had arrived at class all week, arriving right after lunch had ended.

I slid into a desk behind where Harry was sitting with Ron, Daphne occupying the seat next to me.

"I heard from Padma Patil that his teaching is very unethical," Daphne whispered as we sat down. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had their first class yesterday, and there had been plenty of rumours swirling around since.

"You think everything is unethical, Daph," I rolled my eyes.

We all started to pull our books out of our bags, the excited whispers building when a gruff voice stopped us all in our tracks.

"You can put those books away; you won't be needin' them." Moody grumbled as he walked in, sitting at the desk in the front of the room and examining us all, his magical eye swivelling unnervingly.

I immediately sought out Hermione, knowing her reaction to that statement would be worth seeing. I was correct, while the rest of the class happily packed their books away, she did so much slower with a quiet look of horror on her face. I struggled to contain myself, somehow, I doubt Moody would appreciate laughter in his class.

"Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror, ministry malcontent, and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?"

Nobody dared to speak, it seemed that everyone shared the same uneasiness I felt around this new professor.

"When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach and constant vigilance. Now, which one of you can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

My eyes widened, exchanging a slightly horrified look with Daphne, who looked like she might pass out at the mere mention of the Unforgivables.

"Three, sir." Hermione spoke up, speaking quieter than her usual know-it-all tone when answering questions.

"And they are so named?"

"Because they are unforgivable."

"Miss Granger I presume?" Moody said gruffly, and Hermione nodded quickly, ignoring the snickers from the Slytherins.

"Any use of one of said curses will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban." Moody continued, sending sharp glares at anyone who was laughing, shutting them up immediately.

"Now, the Ministry says that you're too young to see what these curses do; I say different."

"Surely he won't…" I heard Lillian hiss from behind me.

"You need to know what you're up against," the slight twitch of his mouth that almost indicated a smile only unnerved me more, "You need to be prepared. You need to find somewhere else to put your chewing gum other than the side of your desk Mr Finnegan!" Jaws dropped, as Seamus Finnegan muttered something under his breath at being caught out, "And hear across classrooms!"

"Bloody hell," Blaise whispered, turning and exchanging a slightly terrified but impressed look with me.

"I like him," Pansy snickered from next to Lillian.

"So, which curse shall we see first?" Moody's magical eye whizzed around the room, like it was scanning for prey, "Weasley!"

"Yes!" Ron could have hit the roof he jumped so far out of his seat, eliciting a few quiet giggles from the rest of the class.

"A curse?"

"Um…well," Ron visibly gulped, looking over at Hermione, then to Harry, and even back at me.

"Cowardly as usual," I heard Malfoy remark to Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry turned to glare at him before giving Ron a reassuring smile.

"My Dad did tell me about one," Ron finally managed to get his words out, "The Imperius curse?"

"Ah, yes. Your father would know all about that – gave the Ministry quite a bit of grief a few years back. Perhaps this will show you why."

"He isn't really going to show us, is he?!" Daphne hissed, looking paler by the second. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked just as deathly as her, my heart feeling like it was about to beat out of my chest.

We all watched as he lifted a large spider out of a container, muttering the curse as he did so. He started moving the spider around the classroom, jumping it from desk to desk and daring to get close to some students. Most of the class started to relax, even letting out a few giggles. I couldn't bring myself to make any kind of sound, I was frozen by shock, or maybe fear.

"Five galleons on Greengrass passing out," Malfoy smirked, and the blonde shot him a withering look. Or, as withering as she could for someone who did really look like she could pass out at any moment. Like Moody had heard him, which he probably had, the next moment the spider landed on Malfoy's smug face, immediately causing his smirk to drop. The laughter only increased at this as he removed the spider and almost flung it against the window.

"What should I make her do next?" he asked, his smile dropping, the class immediately silencing again.

"Make her jump out the window?" there was a sickening slap as the spider hit the glass, even Ron (who was terrified of spiders) looked sympathetic.

"Drown herself?"

Daphne was visibly shaking next to me now, her eyes fixated on the spider as he hovered her over a jar of water, her spindly legs twitching. I placed a comforting arm on Daphne's, squeezing it gently. She shot me a small, yet grateful smile.

Moody finally deposited the spider back in his hand, "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius curse." I saw Harry flinch in front of me. "But here's the rub; how do we sort out the liars?"

His magical eye swerved around the room again, stopping on Harry for a suspiciously long moment.

"Another?"

He continued to survey, no one daring to speak up. His eyes passed Daphne and me, noticing the hand I still had on her arm. He finally settled on the table diagonal from us, where he motioned to Neville Longbottom.

"Longbottom is it?"

Neville nodded shakily, "There's the um, the Cruciatus curse."

"Correct!" Moody exclaimed, seemingly impressed by Neville's knowledge, "Particularly nasty one, known as the torture curse." He set the spider down right in front of me and Daphne, and I raised my gaze to glare at him. He could obviously see Daphne was uncomfortable. I saw Theodore tense up out of the corner of my eye, also glaring daggers at our professor.

" _Crucio_!"

Daphne flinched, her eyes closing as her shakes only increased. I couldn't look away as the spider started to writhe in pain in front of us. He cast it a second time, and it was almost like I could feel the pain just from watching. My gaze was broken as Daphne suddenly stood, rushing out of the room.

"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed, and that's when I noticed Neville had reacted as badly as Daphne, "Can't you see it's bothering them?!"

Moody lifted the curse, his eye rotating between me, Neville and Hermione. I held his stare, blue eyes steeled as I stood up roughly.

"Can I be excused Professor?" I said in a low voice, "I think my friend might need help." I could see Theo out of the corner of my eye stand up as well, Moody's eye quickly flicking over towards him.

"Go, Miss Black. Take your seat, Mr Nott," he growled roughly, keeping his good eye focused on me.

I exchanged a quick look with Theodore, smiling at him as reassuringly as I could before I headed out of the classroom.

"The final curse," I heard Moody say as I left, continuing as if nothing had happened.

I found Daphne quickly, she hadn't gone far. She was sitting against one of the pillars with her head in her hands, still shaking a little bit. I walked over and slowly crouched in front of her, putting a hand on her knee lightly.

She jumped, letting out a breath when she saw it was only me, "Bet I look like a right idiot, don't I?"

I shook my head, "That was awful of him to do, he was obviously targeting you because he could see it was upsetting you."

A tear fell from one of her eyes, and she quickly wiped it away, "Why, though?"

I shrugged, "I guess he's going for maximum effect, wants to scare us."

"I'm probably going to get detention for running out like that," Daphne mumbled miserably.

I narrowed my eyes, "If he even tries, I'll fight Snape for you myself."

Daphne gave me a grateful smile, before her eyes widened as she noticed someone over my shoulder.

"Fight me for what, Miss Black?"

I turned around to see Professor Snape himself standing in front of us, looking down at us disapprovingly, which was one of his most used expressions when I was around.

"Mind explaining why you and Miss Greengrass are out of class?" he questioned.

I stood, shooting Daphne a reassuring look as I pulled her up from the floor with me. "Daphne was a little sensitive to some of Professor Moody's teaching."

"I'm fine," Daphne straightened up, never one to show any weakness. She was raised a Pureblood after all.

But Snape wasn't a fool, and he could still see the slight tremor of her body and glassiness in her eyes. "Maybe a trip to Madam Pomfrey is in order? You look like you may need an aspirin, Greengrass."

Daphne nodded wordlessly, giving me one more shaky smile before she headed off towards the infirmary, obviously grateful to avoid detention.

Snape turned to me, "And what did you think of your new Professor's teachings?"

I frowned, "Doesn't really seem ethical to be demonstrating unforgivable curses in front of fourth years."

Snape looked towards the classroom, "Hm, doesn't surprise me. Alastor Moody has never been one to be subtle."

"You know him, sir?" I questioned, and he looked back at me, face passive.

"Everyone does."

I rolled my eyes; it was a cop out and we both knew it. As much as I felt sometimes Snape was very transparent, there were always times I could tell he was choosing not to tell me certain things.

The doors to the classroom opened, and everyone started to pour out. It was the quietest exit from a class I had ever heard, barely anyone even daring to whisper as they all made a hasty exit. Theodore appeared, eyes scanning the corridor before he saw me and made a beeline towards us.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"I sent her to the hospital wing," Snape informed, and Theodore looked horrified, "Calm down Mr Nott," he rolled his eyes, "She just looked like she could use some peace and quiet."

"You go Theo, I'll meet you at dinner," I squeezed his shoulder gently, and he nodded, giving me a quick smile before he raced off the same way Daphne had gone. I saw Harry and Ron exit next, Harry stopping when he saw me, obviously intent on waiting for me.

"Thank you, Professor," I said to Snape quietly, who nodded curtly as he headed off back down to the dungeons and I walked over to Harry.

My relationship with the potions master had always been confusing. When I was first sorted, I dreaded meeting him, it was common knowledge that he despised my father. But over the years, though I caused him a lot of headaches, we had developed quite a solid relationship. It probably helped that Potions was one of my best subjects, and I was in his house. But I did also cause quite a lot of trouble, which never pleased him.

"Did he give you and Greengrass detention?" Ron questioned as I reached them, the three of us heading down the stairs towards the Great Hall.

"No," I responded, "I think he saw how shaken up she was."

Harry snorted, "Snape doesn't care about how people feel."

I glared at him, "Well, why didn't he give us detention then?"

"Because you're Slytherin," Harry rolled his eyes, "Any other house he would have slaughtered you."

"How did Moody finish his class, then?" I changed the subject, and Ron and Harry exchanged an uneasy look.

"He killed it," Harry muttered.

My eyes widened, "Like with…?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?" I put a hand on Harry's arm, stopping us. He sighed, looking around us a little before meeting my eyes and giving me a small smile.

"I think so."

"He shouldn't be allowed to do that," I said angrily as we started walking again, "It was so inhumane."

"Well, if his plan was to scare us all, it definitely worked," Ron shuddered.

As we reached the Great Hall, I glanced over at the Slytherin table where I saw Daphne and Theodore had already arrived back from the hospital wing.

"I'll see you later."

Harry nodded, waving as I separated off from him and Ron and headed over to the table, sitting across from Daphne.

"Okay, Greengrass?" I asked, not wanting to draw too much attention. I knew her pride was already hurting; she wouldn't want to show any kind of weakness.

She nodded silently, smiling at me in reassurance.

"I heard Parvati Patil say she was going to report him to Dumbledore," Tracey said from next to me, looking at Daphne with a soft smile.

"Do you really believe Dumbledore doesn't know what he's doing?" Blaise rolled his eyes, "He knows everything."

"So, what?" Lillian snapped, "He wants us to be scared out of our minds in class?"

"Maybe that's the point," Theodore muttered, not even bothering to look up from his plate. We all fell silent, the meaning behind Theo's statement not lost on us.

I continued to eat my dinner in peace, not really paying much attention to what the conversation topic had shifted to. My peace was however very shortly ruined when a high-pitched giggle carried down the table.

"Nice to see you on two feet, Greengrass," Gorgia called down to us, and we all turned to see her and Pansy sitting together, giggling away at Daphne.

"Who knew you were so delicate?" Pansy smirked, and I glared daggers at the two of them. I would barely even call Gorgia and Pansy friends; they were way too alike to get along usually. Add on the fact they were always fighting over Malfoy's attention and it was rare for them to be teaming up on anything. Evidently wanting to humiliate the usually poised Daphne was something they could agree on.

"Both of you shut it," I hissed back, "Not all of us have no soul like the two of you."

"Can't even stick up for yourself, Daph?" Pansy raised an eyebrow, ignoring me and continuing to stare my friend down.

Daphne sat straighter, sticking her nose up in the air a little, "I don't need anyone to defend me. I don't have anything to be ashamed of."

Pansy and Gorgia both fell silent, Pansy's mouth opening and closing a few times. They both hurriedly looked away and instead whispered to the Carrow twins haughtily.

I looked at Daphne with a big grin, if there was one thing I could always count on, it was Daphne Greengrass not being talked down to by anyone.

"You really are my favourite person, Daphne," Lillian grinned, looking just as proud as me of our friend.

Daphne simply shrugged, brushing it off like it was nothing. Theodore looked at her from the corner of his eye, a ghost of a smile on his face. I looked back down towards Gorgia and Pansy, glaring at Pansy one more time for good measure. It was obvious they had just seen an opportunity to make the usually put together Daphne look bad, wanting to make themselves look better. I don't even know why I'd been surprised.

Madi appeared at our table suddenly, sitting down next to Blaise and starting to pile dinner on her plate.

"Where have you been, then?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

She grinned at me, "At the Goblet, Cedric Diggory just submitted his name."

That caught most of our table's attention.

"I heard he was going to!" Tracey exclaimed excitedly.

"Quite a large crowd supporting him," Madi said, "He's definitely the people's choice."

"Do you think the Goblet takes that into account?" Theo said sarcastically, we chose to ignore him.

"He could probably win it too," Daphne shrugged.

"What are you lot?" Malfoy frowned, "The Diggory fan club?"

"You're just jealous, Malfoy," I smirked, and he glowered at me.

"He's actually an incredibly talented wizard," Daphne continued factually, "Top of all his classes."

"How do you know all that?" Theodore frowned, and I tried not to giggle at the obvious jealousy written on his features.

Daphne just shrugged, "People talk."

"Also," Madi piped up again, swiftly changing the subject before Theodore had an aneurysm. "Weasley knows you're avoiding him."

My eyes widened, "What? How?" I paused, "And I am not!"

"You are, and because I told him you were," Madi grinned wickedly.

Lillian, Tracey and Daphne all burst out laughing at the look of absolute betrayal on my face.

"What the fuck Onyx?!"

"Oh, she did you a favour!" Blaise rolled his eyes, "You're acting like a child."

I turned and stuck my tongue at him, which only proved his point.

"They're right, if I have to dodge you running down the corridor one more time, I'll trip jinx you myself," Theodore grumbled.

"Have I ever mentioned that you lot are all traitors?"

"Constantly," Daphne confirmed, looking at me with twinkling eyes.

"Look, he asked me okay?" Madi said, "So, I told him the truth."

I blinked, "He approached you?"

"Mhm."

"Wow, he was desperate," Blaise looked just as surprised as me.

Fred had voluntarily spoken to one of my Slytherin friends, who he had always made clear he had no good feelings towards and knew that they probably felt the same about him. And all so he could find out if I was avoiding him.

"Look, Black," Lillian sighed, "This was all fun and jokes, but are you actually considering dating a Weasley?"

I narrowed my eyes; these were exactly the kind of statements I had been worried about.

"If I am, that's my choice," I said slowly.

"I'd just think about it carefully," Daphne piped up, and I rolled my eyes. Even after today trust Daphne to still be all about image.

The rest of my friends all changed the subject again as I stared down at my plate in silence. I looked up again after a few minutes, seeing Madi already watching me. She tilted her head towards the door slightly and I nodded.

"We're going for a walk," Madi announced as we stood.

"Good, maybe you'll talk some sense into her," Lillian said.

"I don't need to talk any sense into her, she's perfectly sane," Madi responded.

Malfoy snorted, "That's a lie," So far, he had been suspiciously quiet during this conversation. I would have thought he would never miss an opportunity to remind me how much he despised the Weasleys. I looked at him for a moment, but he didn't even look up, staring pointedly down at his plate like he was purposely avoiding having to look at me.

Madi gave my arm a little tug, dragging me out of the Great Hall.

We walked in silence before reaching the courtyard and settling into one of the archways. I leaned my back against the pillar, pulling my legs up to my chest as my best friend sat across from me.

"Let me pick your brain," she smiled.

"Dangerous game," I murmured, gazing out towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I'm very practiced at it by now."

"This feels stupid," I sighed, looking over at her, "I mean, after everything that happened at the World Cup, and now this Tournament, which I also have a bad feeling about. It just seems like there are way bigger things I should be worrying about, not if I like a boy or not."

Madi laughed slightly, "I think, with everything you've already been through sometimes you forget you're allowed to just be a teenager."

I frowned. One thing I'd always envied about my group of friends in Slytherin is how far away they got to be from it all. Every other time Harry and the rest of us had ended up tangled in another mystery they just got to carry on living their normal lives. It was so easy for them to brush things off because it never directly affected them. I also knew however it was becoming naive to think that would last, especially after what had happened at the cup.

"I don't think I'll ever feel like a normal teenager," I replied eventually.

"Maybe not," Madi mused, "But you can try for now. Because we both know that this is only the beginning."

I met her gaze, knowing there was weight behind that statement.

"You and me," she continued, her eyes wandering back towards the hall, "We've always gotten along the best because we understand each other in a way they can't," she looked back, her hazel eyes serious.

"We know what it feels like to be pulled in multiple directions at once."

I smiled, "Never really sure which way we should be going."

"So, before we inevitably have to decide which way to go, maybe take some time to live your life."

I sighed again, leaning my head back against the pillar and smiling at her, "You are way too wise for our age."

Madi laughed, "I was raised by an old lady, remember?"

I broke out into laughter as well. Maybe she was right, maybe this was the year I should just enjoy being at Hogwarts.

"Do you like Weasley or not?" she asked after we'd stopped laughing, "And screw what any of them think, you need to decide for yourself."

I fell quiet again, I really wasn't sure. But I couldn't understand what was holding me back so much, was I scared of getting hurt? Of losing Fred?

"Here's what I think," she continued when I didn't respond for a while, and I looked at her with my eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I think there's someone else you have unadmitted feelings for as well."

I groaned, "Not this again, Madi!"

"There is something between you two!"

"Yes, hatred!" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, please," Madi giggled, "I see the way you two act around each other."

"I am so over your me and Malfoy secretly have feelings for each other narrative," I scoffed. This was not the first time my best friend had brought this up, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Sure," Madi grinned as we stood, "But you're never going to figure those feelings out until you admit you may have some for Malfoy as well."

I didn't even respond, staying stubbornly silent as we headed back towards the Common Room.

* * *

By the time I got to Potions the next afternoon, I was exhausted. I had barely slept again, and whatever was left of my energy before lunch was drained by taking care of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts. But I couldn't really complain about having double Potions to end the day, it was an easy enough subject for me. We weren't even brewing yet, Snape still had us just researching different antidotes and how to identify the poisons they cured.

I let out a dramatic sigh as I slumped down next to Blaise, who rolled his eyes at my theatrics. I noted that as usual, Malfoy occupied the other seat at our table. The three of us had been sitting together since first year, once we realised we were all the best in the class at Potions. It was a guaranteed way for us to maintain a good grade, plus there was the added bonus that Gorgia - and on some days Pansy - spent every Potions lesson looking like they wanted to either murder me or burst into tears.

"You've been especially cranky today," Malfoy remarked.

"Then you should know it's not a good idea to push me," I glared.

"Stop it," Blaise snapped, "I just spent an hour taking care of those disgusting Skrewts, and I do not want to spend this whole bloody class babysitting the two of you as well."

"You won't have any issues with me, I plan to sit here and ignore both of you for the next two hours," I responded haughtily.

"No?" Malfoy gasped, "It's not my birthday Black, you didn't have to get me a gift!"

I shot him a withering look, but he only smirked more in return. Any further snipes between us were avoided as Snape sauntered into the room.

"You will continue your readings on antidotes, once again, there will be no need for discussion."

I silently thanked my professor; two hours of silence was exactly what I had been hoping for. As usual, the tables around us occupied by the rest of my house talked in hushed whispers anyway. Snape usually let us get away with it if we weren't too disruptive, there were some benefits to being in his house.

"So, what did you and Mads talk about last night then?" Blaise asked quietly as we opened our books.

"None of your business," I quipped back instantly, and he scowled. He had obviously already tried to ask his girlfriend to no avail.

"Bloody unfair," he muttered bitterly, and I giggled quietly, ignoring the unimpressed look he shot me.

"Don't worry Zabini, if you want to do some girl talk, I'm sure Crabbe and Goyle would be happy to oblige," Malfoy commented drily.

Blaise snorted, and I had to cough to stop myself from laughing too loudly. I saw Madi looking at me with a knowing look from the table in front of us and shot her a small glare in warning.

"I said no talking, Potter," we suddenly heard Snape exclaim, our attention drawn to the other side of the room where Harry sat, looking rather offended.

"They're talking!" he gestured to our table, and my mouth dropped open slightly; traitor.

Snape flicked his gaze to us for a few moments, before re-focusing on Harry, unbothered by his accusation.

"I can guarantee you Potter, if the three top students in my class are conversing, it is much more relevant than you and Mr Weasley's discussion on how enamoured he is with a Beauxbatons student."

The class immediately erupted into giggles, mostly from my friends sitting around me as Ron went as red as his hair and Harry narrowed his eyes.

Snape didn't give him the chance to respond though, moving away from their table and back to his post at the front of the room. Harry watched him angrily, while Ron looked like he wanted to fall through the floor of the dungeon into the Black Lake.

"Brilliant," Blaise was shaking his head with a grin as everyone re-focused on their books. Even I couldn't help but find it amusing.

"What is it with those Weasley's and wanting girls out of their league?" Malfoy muttered, rolling his eyes.

I blinked in surprise, and I felt Blaise start slightly next to me like he'd been woken out of a trance.

"What?" I turned to Malfoy; whose eyes had gone slightly wide like he hadn't meant to say that as loudly as he did.

He looked at Blaise over my head, and I turned back to face him, who smiled at me innocently like nothing was wrong. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and faced Malfoy once again.

"What was that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"Nothing," he brushed it off, glaring at me slightly.

I opened my mouth to retort, not planning on letting him just brush me off like he hadn't said anything. But Snape walked past our table and sent us a pointed glare warning us to keep it down.

I frowned, looking between the two of them as they went back to their work like nothing had happened. I let out an irritated sigh before re-focusing on my own work, if there was one thing I did know it was Draco Malfoy was a stubborn ass and I would never get anything else out of him.

* * *

"Eat with us again tonight?" Harry ran to catch up with me as we left Potions two hours later.

Blaise, who had been walking next to me, rolled his eyes and sped up to catch up to the others.

"Why should I?" I glared at him slightly, "You tried to rat me out to Snape!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Sorry, I knew you would never get in trouble anyway."

I turned to smirk at Ron, "So, which Beauxbatons girl has got you all riled up anyway, Ronnikins?"

"Please don't," Ron moaned, flushing red again and turning away from me.

"Dinner?" Harry repeated hopefully.

"Maybe," I sighed; I wasn't sure if I was ready to face Fred yet.

It was all I'd been able to think about, it was why I'd been so distracted all day. My friends hadn't missed one opportunity to make fun of me, and I was exhausted. I was seriously contemplating skipping dinner just to get some peace and quiet.

"I don't even know if I'm going to dinner tonight."

"Why?" Harry frowned, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just not in the mood I guess," I shrugged.

"Not in the mood for food?" Ron asked, eyes wide.

I chuckled, "I wouldn't expect you to understand, Ron."

"What's going on?" Harry asked gently, looking at me in concern. He always knew when something was up with me, I suppose that's what happens when you're practically raised as brother and sister.

"Nothing," I promised, "I just didn't get much sleep last night. I'll go down to the kitchens later and eat, I just need to lie down first."

Harry still didn't look convinced, pausing with me as I stopped at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.

"Are you sure?"

"I just don't have the energy to deal with everyone right now," I said, "I'll catch up with you later."

Harry stared me down for a moment before he sighed in defeat and nodded. I watched as he and Ron disappeared, before I turned away from the Common Room and headed back upstairs.

I walked in silence, lost in my thoughts once again. The Astronomy Tower was my favourite place to go when I needed to think, there was something about looking down on everything from so high up. It made everything seem so small, easier to put things in perspective.

I shivered slightly when I reached the top, leaning on the railing and hugging my body to try and stay warm.

I jumped slightly as I felt a sweater drape over my shoulders and looked over to see Fred come to stand next to me.

"How did you know I was up here?" I questioned.

He smiled, "When Harry came to dinner, he said you looked distracted. I know this is where you come to think."

I was slightly surprised; I didn't know anyone knew I liked to come up here.

"So, you came to distract me from my thinking?" I raised an eyebrow, "That seems counterproductive."

Fred grinned, "Hey, look at that. She jokes," he looked down at me, "I was worried you'd forgotten how to do that with me."

I coughed, looking away to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"I don't know what you mean."

He sighed, "Are you ready to tell me why you've been avoiding me yet?"

"You don't know that I'm avoiding you," I said quietly, but I knew he would know that was obviously a lie. Madi had told him as much.

"You expect me to believe Onyx didn't tell you about our exchange last night?" he raised an eyebrow, and I looked up at him again.

"Maybe," I muttered, and he chuckled.

"You're really making this hard for me, huh?"

I frowned, "I'm not trying to," I said quietly, turning and walking away from the ledge.

"I know," he said, and I turned back to face him, watching as he leaned against the rail with his arms crossed.

"You were going to ask me something the other day," he said after a moment.

"Right," I said, rubbing my arm anxiously.

"Did you want to ask me now?" he raised an eyebrow, stepping towards me a little, and I stepped back much like I had the last time we had tried to have this conversation.

"Cass."

"Fred."

"I don't think we've ever struggled to have a conversation, and now these last few days it's like you think I have dragon pox whenever I see you," he tried to joke, but I could hear how serious he was.

"I know," I whispered, "It's just, once I ask this…we can't go back."

"What are you afraid of?" he responded, like he already knew what I was going to ask him.

"There are so many risks," I bit my lip, searching his face for any sign of hesitation.

"Sometimes the reward outweighs the risk."

A laugh escaped me, "I'm pretty sure the saying is the risk outweighs the reward."

He smirked, stepping toward me again, and I instinctively moved back. He let out an exasperated sigh, his eyes twinkling.

"Cass, this isn't going to work if you keep moving away from me."

"Sorry," I breathed, my eyes wide.

He waited a moment, before stepping forward once more. When I didn't move, he got braver, taking another two steps. Finally, he moved enough that he was right in front of me, looking down at me, closer than he'd ever been before.

"Do you want to ask me now?" he whispered playfully, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

My eyes flicked to where his hand came to rest on my cheek, back to his face, a playful smile finding its way to my lips.

"Do you…" I felt my stomach flip nervously, "Like me?"

He grinned, "Do I really have to answer that, Black?"

I shrugged, "Probably, I'm pretty dense when it comes to this stuff apparently."

He didn't bother responding, he just ducked his head and captured my lips with his. I reacted immediately, kissing him back. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me off the ground slightly as I wound my arms around his neck.

We were kissing. I was kissing Fred Weasley.

Any doubts or worries I had disappeared, this felt comfortable, easy. I knew Fred would never let me down, he was always there ready to catch me when I fell. And maybe that was what I needed.

We pulled away after a few moments, both breathing heavily.

"Did that answer your question?" he murmured, poking my nose playfully.

I giggled, "I'm still not sure, maybe you should try again?"

He laughed, before he happily kissed me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oooh she's finally admitted her feelings for Fred! Next chapter is Halloween - so get ready for some drama!


	4. Hallowe'en

The next couple of weeks passed quickly, I spent as much time as I could with Fred in between classes, and when he wasn't with George adding the finishing touches to their plan to get their names into the goblet.

We'd been the talk of the school that week, which had surprised me. I had figured with the Tournament just around the corner people wouldn't really pay much mind to us getting together.

My friends in Slytherin had had complex reactions. Most of them were simply happy I'd gotten myself a boyfriend, even if they weren't so thrilled with my choice. Then there were those like Gorgia or Pansy who took every opportunity to tease me or make childish jabs at Fred and his family. I chose to ignore them; it wasn't worth the energy to try and argue with them.

It was Malfoy's reaction that had been the most surprising, I had expected him to be right beside Gorgia and Pansy in giving me as much flack as he could. But mostly he just ignored any conversation to do with the subject, I guessed he was so disgusted he just wanted to pretend it didn't exist. We just continued with our usual game of being civil but never missing a chance to insult each other. I had never brought up what he'd said that day in Potions again either, I wasn't so sure I wanted to know his answer anymore.

Of course, all the Gryffindor's had been thrilled. Ginny couldn't stop blabbing on about how she had told me so, and Harry had only remarked he was a little mad I hadn't said anything to him.

Thursday night after dinner, I was sitting with Harry, Ron and Hermione by the Goblet. It had become quite a popular hangout the last few weeks as more people started to put their names in.

"I just can't believe you fought off the bloody Imperius curse, mate," Ron exclaimed for the third time in the ten minutes we'd been sitting down. Professor Moody had taken to practicing the curses on us now, apparently Dumbledore wanted us to know what it felt like. Harry had managed to fight it off, and now Ron wouldn't shut up about it.

"It wasn't easy," Harry muttered, exchanging a fed-up look with me.

"The homework this year is ridiculous," Ron continued to moan, "Weekly bloody essays for Binns, and all that antidote research for Potions! And if I have to make up one more prediction for that crazy old bat, I'll throw her off that bloody tower!"

"It's only going to get harder," Hermione responded haughtily, "Especially when we start doing O.W.L's."

Ron looked over at me, "You don't reckon Snape was serious when he said he'd poison one of us before Christmas to see if we know the antidote?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you seriously asking that question?" Ron gulped, and I had to laugh at the look of terror on his face.

"I don't understand how you have time for your little elf movement, Hermione," I turned to look at the brunette, who was pouring over her box of buttons and petitions as she usually was lately.

"It's called S.P.E.W," Hermione bristled, and I had to cough to cover my giggle. She glared at me anyway, I still couldn't help but laugh every time I heard the acronym she'd created.

"You mention it one more time and I'm gonna spew," Ron snorted.

"It's not SPEW! It's S.P.E.W!"

Harry and I exchanged another exasperated look and tuned out our two friends.

"Didn't Fred and George tell us to meet them here at 7? It's almost half-past," Harry questioned.

I smirked slightly, "They're probably putting the finishing touches on their Ageing Potion."

"After all that they're going with an Ageing Potion?" Ron asked me incredulously, seemingly finished arguing with Hermione.

"It's the least dangerous option," I shrugged, "Don't even ask me how long it took me to talk them out of all their other stupid ideas."

Ron laughed, "You signed up for it," I stuck my tongue out at him, before joining in on his laughter when he stuck his back at me.

"Grow up, you two," Hermione said, turning away from us a little, like she was embarrassed. Ron made a face at her back, only making Harry and I laugh harder and Hermione glare at us once again.

We suddenly heard cheers and laughter coming from the doorway, and seconds later Fred and George ran in looking exceptionally pleased with themselves. A bunch of the Gryffindors around the cup started applauding, and I rolled my eyes slightly, only imagining how big their egos were growing.

"Well lads, we've done it," Fred grinned.

"Cooked it up just this morning," George echoed, beaming.

"It's not going to work," Hermione said from next to us, her arms crossed indignantly. The twins exchanged a look, before coming to crouch on either side of Hermione.

"Oh yeah?"

"And why's that, Granger?"

"You see this," she gestured to the line Dumbledore had drawn around the goblet, "This is an age line, Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?" Fred pushed, shooting me a quick smirk before refocusing on Hermione.

"So," Hermione was getting frustrated now, not realising the twins were mostly just trying to wind her up.

"A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a thought as pathetically dim-witted as an ageing potion."

I struggled to contain my giggles, exchanging a grin with Harry who seemed to be enjoying this as much as I was.

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant," Fred winked.

"Because it's so pathetically dim-witted," George agreed.

Hermione rolled her eyes as they stood, heading back closer to the Goblet.

"Surely you know this won't work?" Harry murmured to me.

I grinned, "Obviously. I just really wanted to see them try."

"Girlfriend of the year," Harry shook his head with a smile, and I shrugged innocently before we turned our attention back to the twins, who were getting ready to drink their potions.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George!"

"Bottoms up!" they shouted, before swigging the potions.

There weren't any visible effects, but they both cheered anyway. I watched in amusement as they jumped theatrically over the age line, then paused.

There was a collective cheer as nothing happened, and I joined in the clapping and laughter around me as we all watched them drop two slips of parchment into the goblet triumphantly, high fiving once it was done. Almost instantly after, the goblet spat out angry blue whips which swirled around the twins, before hitting them square in the chest and sending them flying backwards.

I stood up quickly, followed by Harry and Ron as we ran to where they were laying on the ground. I stopped short with a gasp, bursting into laughter as I saw the two usually red-headed twins were now sporting grey hair and some impressively long beards. The whole Hall had erupted into laughter, which turned into chants and cheers as the twins started to wrestle each other out of frustration.

"Guys!" I tried to exclaim over the noise, rolling my eyes. Boys.

"You said!"

"No, you said!" the twins argued as the collective chant of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" started to build.

I shook my head, resting one of my hands on my forehead in frustration as I watched them wrestle. Ron was passionately cheering his brothers on, while Hermione had sat back down and taken to pouring over her box once again and ignoring everyone chanting around her.

"Should we break them up now?" Harry asked me, still clapping along with the crowd.

Before I could agree with him, the Hall hushed all on its own as Viktor Krum came purposely strolling towards the Goblet of Fire. Igor Karkaroff was behind him, looking down on all of us like we were the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Everyone watched in silence, moving as far out of the way as they could as Krum dropped his name, and walked straight back out of the Hall.

Everyone started to disperse back to their own little groups, talking in hushed voices. I smiled, turning back to the still aged twins, who had pulled each other off the floor.

"Do you like my new look?" Fred questioned as they walked over to me.

"I finally manage to get myself a boyfriend, and he only goes and ages himself fifty years a few weeks later," I shook my head, tutting them playfully.

"I don't think she likes it, Freddie." George smirked.

Fred pouted dramatically, "Well, now you've hurt my feelings."

I rolled my eyes, giving his beard a little tug with a giggle, "You'll be okay."

He grinned, leaning down as if to kiss me, but I shrieked and pushed him away before he could.

"No way! I don't fancy kissing an old man, thank you!"

He looked affronted, "Now I really am offended."

George roared with laughter, causing his twin to glare at him as I started laughing as well.

"Come on then," I tilted my heads towards the door, "I suppose I can brew you the antidote to make it up to you."

"That's more like it," Fred said triumphantly, he and George following me out of the Great Hall.

* * *

By the time Hallowe'en rolled around, all anyone was talking about was the Tournament, and who's name they wanted to be chosen. There were lots of rumours swirling around of people who had gotten up early or waited until late at night so no one would see them submitting their name. Fred had been telling me all week how much he was hoping Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor Chaser was going to be selected, and the rest of my friends in Gryffindor seemed to share his hopes. I supposed it was just because they wanted the champion to be from their house. I was indifferent, I hadn't really been paying that much attention to the tournament, I had way too many other things going on.

Between classes, and homework, and now trying to navigate my new relationship with Fred I barely had time to breathe let alone gossip about who should be the Hogwarts champion. I hadn't even had a chance to write home to my dad yet, which was also partly due to the fact I hadn't told him about Fred yet. I knew he would be concerned by now though, I usually sent him as many letters as I could throughout the school year.

"If we end up with a Gryffindor champion, I'm transferring to Beauxbatons," Pansy proclaimed as we all dug into the feast.

"I don't think you'd really fit in over there much, Parkinson," I mused. Pansy and I had been more enemies than friends lately, due to the fact she was still not happy with the fact I was dating Fred and constantly reminded me as such.

"Like you would either, Black," Pansy shot back.

"I have no desire to," I snorted, ignoring the warning glares Daphne was sending my way.

"Who do you think it's gonna be, then?" Tracey piped up.

"My money's still on Diggory," Madi replied, stealing Blaise's last potato from his plate. He was not amused, looking rather offended as she munched on it as if nothing had happened.

"A Hufflepuff champion doesn't sound too bad," Daphne shrugged, and Theo eyed her haughtily. He probably suspected what I did, that Daphne's acceptance of Cedric as champion was for the same reason as most of the girls at Hogwarts. He wasn't bad to look at.

"Warrington put his name in just this morning," Malfoy said, pushing his plate with one potato left towards a still reeling Blaise, who happily grabbed it, glaring at his still unbothered girlfriend as he did so.

"We should be hoping he gets it."

"Imagine if we get a Slytherin champion," Lillian smirked, "Be quite the scandal I reckon."

"Everyone will be thrilled," I muttered, mostly to myself. We all knew how highly unlikely it was for that to happen though, even an enchanted goblet would know we weren't a universally liked house.

"Too bad your fifty-year-old boyfriend didn't end up being able to enter, Black," Gorgia sneered.

"Sorry to say he's back to normal now, Avery," I rolled my eyes in response, but shuddered a little at the memory of seeing my boyfriend aged that quickly.

"Maybe he would have died."

"Aren't these jokes getting a little old?" I hissed, my eyes narrowing threateningly. Gorgia only smirked more, seemingly intent on getting a good reaction out of me.

"Just like your blood-traitor boyfriend?"

I gripped the edge of the table, ignoring Daphne trying to get me to calm down and opening my mouth with every intention of letting Gorgia Avery absolutely have it. But I never got the words out before the whole room silenced as Dumbledore stood at the front of the room. I glared daggers at Gorgia, letting her know with my eyes that this was not over. She simply smirked triumphantly, turning away to focus on the front.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The champion selection!"

The entire Great Hall watched with bated breath as Dumbledore waved his hand slowly around the room, before resting them on the Goblet for a moment and stepping away again. Suddenly, the flame changed from blue to red and there was a scattering of excited gasps as it spat out a piece of parchment.

"The Durmstrang champion is...Viktor Krum!"

The whole hall seemed to cheer, not just his fellow classmates from Durmstrang. I joined in on the clapping, watching as Krum walked down the length of the tables, getting cheers and congratulations as he went, before he reached the Dumbledore at the front. They shook hands and the Headmaster whispered to him quickly before he disappeared into a room off to the side.

The goblet was already glowing red once more, shooting out a second piece of parchment into the Headmasters hand.

"The champion from Beauxbatons... Miss Fleur Delacour!"

There were excited squeals from the Beauxbatons girls as one of them rose, smiling graciously before she headed gracefully towards the front of the room.

"That's the one Weasley was talking about in Potions," Daphne informed us, and I raised an eyebrow, sparing a glance over to Ron who was staring at her like she was holding up the Earth.

By the time I looked back at the goblet, its red flame had just sent the last piece of parchment into the air.

We all held our breath.

"The Hogwarts champion...Cedric Diggory!"

The hall erupted into cheers once again, it seemed Cedric was a champion all of Hogwarts could agree on. The girls at my table were screaming especially loudly, Madi yelling over us that she had told us so.

Cedric made his way down the hall, grinning from ear to ear as he received claps on the back and high fives from his fellow Hufflepuffs before he reached the Headmaster and disappeared after the other two champions.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore announced, everyone falling silent, "But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of victory - the Tri-Wizard Cup!"

The cup was brought forward, and everyone cheered again as the glowing blue chalice was uncovered.

Just as suddenly, cheers turned to whispers as the goblet glowed red once more, I saw Professor Snape stepping slowly forward, which alerted Dumbledore and he turned back to face the goblet just as another piece of parchment came flying out. There was a bubble of confused gasps and whispers throughout the crowd as Dumbledore slowly caught it and began to read.

My heart suddenly dropped in my chest.

Something was wrong.

He muttered something silently to himself, then a little louder, loud enough that the students closest to him started to whisper incredulously.

"What the hell?" Theodore muttered, all my friends looking just as bewildered as each other.

All the colour had drained from my face, and I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. I knew what the headmaster was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

"Harry Potter!"

No one made a sound. I could see Hagrid up the front shaking his head in disbelief. I finally moved my gaze over to where Harry was sitting, and saw him frozen in his spot, eyes wide.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Dumbledore's booming tone rang through the deathly silent hall, echoing off the walls.

"You have got to be kidding me," I heard Malfoy mutter, but I ignored him. I watched in horror as Hermione pushed Harry to stand up before he slowly walked to the front of the hall as everyone watched in silence.

Harry reached Dumbledore, who was watching him in silent disbelief, handing Harry the piece of parchment that obviously read his name. Harry looked up in confusion, before Dumbledore seized him by the arm and dragged him into the room the other champions had disappeared into.

The cries started almost immediately.

"He's a cheat!"

"This is ridiculous!"

"SILENCE!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the hall, "Prefects, please lead everyone back to the dorms at once!"

We all stood immediately, and the conversations and accusations only got louder as everyone started bustling out of the Great Hall.

"Unbelievable," Malfoy remarked again, and I broke out of my trance to glare at him, "Of course Potter pulls something like this, he can't handle not being the centre of attention for one second!"

"Harry didn't do this," I said firmly, before I sped towards the front of the hall, ignoring Blaise and Madi calling after me.

"Stop," Snape put out an arm before I could reach the door, and I looked at him in exasperation.

"Please," I begged, my frustration and fear for Harry starting to build.

Snape didn't budge, "You are not permitted in the champions room Miss Black, even despite the circumstances."

I slumped, letting out a shaky breath.

"You should, however, wait out here."

"Why?" I frowned in confusion.

"I am sure when your father arrives along with Potter's, he will want to see you," Snape said, looking less than thrilled that the Marauders would be arriving back at Hogwarts.

I blinked, "My dad's coming?"

"Professor Dumbledore has summoned Mr Potter's father, as you could imagine this is a very dire situation."

I nodded wordlessly, Snape giving me one more stern look as if to say, 'stay here'; before he himself disappeared into the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Cassie!"

I turned just as Fred reached me, wrapping me into his arms and placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I saw you rush up here, figured you might need some support," he murmured, holding me tightly.

I felt strange, I knew I should be upset, or scared for Harry. But I just felt numb, like I was feeling too many things at once to be able to tell.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He pulled back, frowning a little like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes a little.

He sighed, "How do you reckon he did it? Did he tell you he was going to?"

I stepped back, looking at him incredulously, "You think he did this?"

Fred looked a little confused, "Well…yeah I suppose."

I couldn't believe it; I had thought anyone who knew Harry would never think he would do this. Sure, sometimes he ran headfirst into danger like an idiot, but only if it already involved him. This had nothing to do with him.

"Harry didn't do this Fred," I glared, "I thought you would have known that,"

He looked like he wanted to try and argue, but he probably realised he wouldn't get anywhere.

"You're right," he said gently, putting a hand on my arm, "I'm sorry. It's all just so bloody crazy it's hard to know what to think."

I softened my gaze a little, "It's okay."

"They'll know it wasn't him," he continued, sounding like he was trying to convince himself, "No way he'll have to compete, it's too dangerous."

I nodded, offering him a small smile, "They summoned James, my dad will probably come too."

Fred's face turned up into a smile, his eyes twinkling a little, "Not exactly how I pictured telling your dad about us, but we can make it work."

A small laugh escaped my lips, "Well, at least it won't be the biggest bomb being dropped tonight."

"Hey," he said gently, "Made you laugh."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, "You're good at that," I responded softly as his arms wrapped around my waist firmly.

"One of my many talents," he shrugged. I smiled again, leaning up to press my lips against his. He kissed me back softly, and for a few moments I let myself forget what was going on in the room next door and just let myself be distracted.

"Ahem."

We broke apart quickly, and my eyes widened when I turned to see Remus and my father standing in the now open doorway. Remus looked like he was trying hard not to laugh, and my dad was staring at us trying extremely hard to look stern, but I could see his eyes twinkling.

"Dad!" I stepped away from Fred a little, exchanging a quick look with my boyfriend who looked slightly terrified.

"So, is this why I haven't gotten a single letter from you so far this year?" my dad questioned, looking between me and Fred.

"Maybe...I have been busy!" I fidgeted, and I could see him fighting a smile, evidently still trying to look as threatening as he could. He was a father who had just caught his daughter kissing a boy after all.

"You got here fast."

"Well, when you get an urgent summons from Dumbledore you don't exactly stop for coffee on the way," Remus replied, his face grim. I nodded, the weight of what had transpired coming back to the surface.

"James is in there still," he continued, "Might be a while."

My eyes widened, "What do you mean? Aren't they just going to withdraw Harry?" There was no way anyone in their right mind would let him compete.

I saw my father wince, "It's not that simple, kid."

I reached for Fred's hand instinctively, the fear coursing through me like a flood. Fred gave it a comforting squeeze, and I saw the two older men's eyes flick between our hands and then each other.

I coughed awkwardly, letting go of Fred again and looking at my dad, "Maybe we should talk?"

He let out a chuckle, "Probably a good idea."

Remus grinned, before he tipped his head at Fred and the two of them walked a few metres away.

I opened my mouth to start to explain myself, but before I could get any words out my dad pulled me into a tight hug. I was surprised, but I wasn't complaining as I hugged him back just as tightly. I could only imagine how scared he was as well; Harry was important to him too.

"I'm glad you're safe," he murmured, resting his chin on my head. I wouldn't describe my father as protective; he had always been a firm believer in letting me make my own choices, but there was always a part of him that tried to keep me as close as possible. I understood. It was hard enough for me to lose my mother, but he lost someone he loved too.

"I'm scared for Harry, Dad," I whispered.

He pulled back, "Me too, kid."

I looked at him for a moment, before quickly glancing over to where Fred and Lupin were talking. When I looked back my dad was looking at me with a knowing smile, and I blushed slightly.

"So, Fred and I are kinda…" I trailed off, feeling a little awkward.

My father simply laughed, "I can't say I'm surprised."

"You're not?" I responded, slightly startled. I hadn't expected him to be mad, he wasn't that kind of dad - but I was expecting some sort of stern fatherly talk.

"Anyone could see that boy's been head over heels for you for a while."

I rolled my eyes, "Great, so apparently everyone saw it before I did."

He let out an amused chuckle, "Seems you got there eventually."

"So, you approve then?" I raised an eyebrow, searching his face for any kind of hesitation or disapproval.

"If anyone was going to date my daughter, I'm glad it's someone like Fred," my father smiled, squeezing my arm reassuringly.

I grinned, "Good."

"I'm glad you're finding some time in all this chaos to live your life," he said gently, and my smile dropped a little, looking over to the room he and Remus had just come from.

"What do you think they're saying in there?"

"Well, the gist of it is that it isn't as simple as just withdrawing him," he sighed, "That bloody goblet is enchanted, it's a binding contract once your name comes out."

My mouth dropped open slightly in shock, "So... what does that mean?"

"It means I have to compete."

I turned, seeing Harry come out of the doorway, looking ashen. I ran at full speed towards him and threw my arms around him, he stumbled a little but managed to keep us upright, hugging me back just as fiercely.

"I didn't do this," he murmured, and I pulled back, looking at him incredulously.

"Of course you didn't, why would you even think I thought you did?"

He visibly relaxed, smiling at me, "Right."

"Hey Cass," James greeted me quietly as he walked out, looking frazzled. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape followed him out, and I exchanged a quick glance with my head of house, who looked as grim faced as everyone else.

"Hi," I responded to James softly, moving away slightly so he could wrap an arm around Harry's shoulder and pull him closer.

Lupin and Fred made their way back over to us, Fred eyeing my father warily at first before my dad smiled and clapped him good-heartedly on the shoulder. I had to hold in a giggle as I saw my boyfriend visibly relax, meeting his eyes and shooting him a subtle wink.

"What do you mean you have to compete?" I turned back to Harry, realising what he had said before I'd tackled him.

"Like I said," my father sighed, "That goblet is enchanted."

I turned to the headmaster, "Surely there's a loophole?"

Dumbledore's face was grim as he responded, "I wish there were, Miss Black. But I am afraid we have no choice; Harry was selected as a champion and therefore must compete."

I felt the anger rise in my chest, turning to look at Harry, "I swear I will kill whoever did this to you."

"Cassie," my dad said warningly, and I shot him a small glare. Of course I was angry, someone was doing this with the intention of putting Harry in danger, and I was not going to let them get away with it.

I glanced at my god-brother, who was staring at the ground like he wished the floor would swallow him up and never spit him back out.

James suddenly let out a frustrated sigh before he started to pace up and down.

"James," Remus said softly, but he shot him a sharp glare, shaking his head.

"Everyone can see what's happening here, right?" he demanded, "Someone is trying to put him in danger purposely!"

I exchanged a worried look with Harry, who visibly gulped.

"No one is arguing with you on that, Prongs," my dad replied, "But there's nothing else we can do other than watch over him like we discussed."

"I can assure you that Harry will have our utmost protection," Dumbledore said.

Lupin put a comforting hand on his friends' shoulder, who let out a shaky breath before he nodded, smiling at Harry reassuringly.

Harry tried to smile back, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I suggest you three head off to bed," Dumbledore turned to me, Harry and Fred with a smile, "A good night's sleep can do wonders for one's mind."

We nodded, and I turned to my dad, hugging him tightly.

"Stay safe," he murmured, placing a soft kiss on my head, "And bloody write me once in a while will you?'

I giggled, nodding in agreement as he moved off with a wink to say goodbye to Harry.

We all said our goodbyes, and then Fred, Harry and I headed out of the Great Hall. I was sure the adults had much more they needed to discuss tonight.

"I'll walk you down," Fred offered, but I shook my head.

"No, it's out of your way. Besides, I think it's probably better if Harry doesn't walk into that Common Room alone."

He frowned, "Why?"

"Because everyone is gonna think I did it," Harry muttered bitterly, "Put my name in that Goblet."

I looked at him sympathetically, "I think so, Malfoy already said it," I rolled my eyes, risking a quick look at my boyfriend, who was looking slightly guilty from his earlier reaction.

Harry scoffed, "Why am I not bloody surprised?"

"Don't worry about it," I assured him, "The people who know you will never think you did this, and they're the only ones that matter."

Harry sighed, shooting me a small smile, "I guess you're right, see you tomorrow then?"

I nodded, letting go of Fred to move forward and hug him, "It's all gonna be okay."

He nodded slightly, but who was I really trying to convince, me or him?

I pulled back, smiling at him one more time before he moved a little way down the corridor to give Fred and I some space.

"It will be," I turned back to Fred as he spoke, "Okay, I mean."

"I really hope so," I said quietly, smiling as best as I could. This whole night had been exhausting and I was so ready to climb into bed.

Fred kissed me softly, his hand under my chin, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I responded, giving him a soft smile before he met up with Harry and we headed in separate directions back to the dorms.

I couldn't help but start to worry as I walked, this tournament was no joke, and there was a high chance Harry could get seriously hurt. I suppose that was exactly what whoever put his name in that Goblet wanted, to put him in a position where he was in danger. As soon as the Death Eaters had raided the cup, I knew something like this was coming, I hadn't been able to shake that bad feeling I'd had ever since that night, and now I knew why. I had to figure out who was doing this to him and make them pay for it.

I finally reached the dungeons, stepping through the portrait into the Common Room before stopping in surprise.

All my little group were up waiting for me, even Parkinson and Malfoy. Evidently, they wanted to know what was going on as soon as they could.

"Finally!" Madi exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention towards me.

"So?" Tracey asked eagerly, "What's the go? Is Potter competing?"

I sighed, I really didn't have the energy to deal with this right now, but I knew they'd just keep pushing me until I spilled.

"He doesn't have a choice," I watched as everyone's eyes widened in shock, bar Malfoy and Parkinson who rolled theirs, "That goblets enchanted, once your name comes out you're bound to compete."

"Did he tell you how he did it?" Lillian asked, eyebrows raised.

I scowled, "He didn't do it."

Malfoy snorted, "Right, like we're supposed to believe that."

I was a little peeved to see it looked like the rest of my friends agreed with him, "He didn't, alright?" I glared around the room.

"So, who did then?" Blaise asked.

"I wish I knew, so I could kill them myself," I muttered angrily.

"Great," Pansy snapped bitterly, "Another year revolving around Potter."

I glowered at her, "I'm pretty sure Harry feels the exact same about this that you do, Parkinson. This is the last thing he wanted."

My friends didn't look convinced, as far as they were concerned Harry relished the spotlight, and sometimes even I knew he did, but this was different. Even Harry knew just how much danger he was in.

No one said anything for a while, I think most of them were too scared of setting me off. It was obvious they all believed that Harry had done this, why wouldn't they? It wasn't as if they'd ever been fond of him.

"I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted," I rolled my eyes, turning and heading into the dorms without another word.

By the time the rest of the girls came in I was already in bed with the curtains drawn, not interested in talking to anyone for the rest of the night.


	5. Preparations

I was grateful that the next day was Sunday, I didn't wake up until later in the morning. The rest of my dorm had already left for the day, giving me probably the only peace I would have all day.

I got dressed slowly, pulling on a pair of jeans and tucking a dark green turtleneck sweater Daphne had bought me for Christmas last year into them before I headed towards the Great Hall for breakfast. I got halfway out of the room before I realised I was so distracted by my thoughts I'd forgotten my wand. I quickly scrambled back and picked up my 12¾ phoenix feather core, cedar wood wand and pocketed it before heading down to the Great Hall. I had a feeling it would be a good idea to keep my wand on me at all times from now on. I scanned the Gryffindor table quickly, but wasn't surprised when I didn't see Harry, I'd guessed he was avoiding everyone as best as he could. I was a bit confused to see Ron sitting with Seamus and Dean however, I figured he would have been with Harry. Shrugging it off I trudged over to the Slytherin table, seeing my friends finishing up their breakfast

"Good morning," Madi smiled as I sat down.

"Is it?" I muttered, letting my head fall on the table, which had sort of become a daily routine for me lately.

"Are you planning on doing that every morning?" Malfoy commented drily, proving my point.

I lifted my head, not even caring enough to bother glaring at him.

"Did anyone see Harry this morning?"

Theodore snorted, "No, although maybe we just missed the parade?"

I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm; I don't even know why I'd bothered to ask.

"So Black, how do you think your pal Potter will get out of this one, then?"

I turned to see Gorgia smirking at me, looking like a cat who ate the canary.

"He can't 'get out of it' Avery," I sneered, "His name came out, he has to compete."

"Typical," she responded snarkily, "He breaks the rules and gets called a champion."

"Why don't you stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong for once?" I hissed back, and I saw her eyes flash angrily, before she seemed to decide it wasn't worth it, turning away with one last glare.

I saw a few of my friends exchanging worried looks and sighed.

"Now, what?"

Daphne fidgeted a little, "I'd just…be careful defending Potter so quickly."

"Why?" my eyes narrowed, "You really think I'm just going to stand by and let everyone trash talk him?"

"We're just saying," Blaise added, Daphne slumping a little in relief, "If you keep being so quick to defend him people might get the wrong idea."

"As in, you helped him do it," Madi said gently.

My eyes widened, "That's ridiculous! I had nothing to do with any of this!"

"Right, but you always tend to get yourself wrapped up in Potter's ridiculous drama," Theo said pointedly.

"Yeah, well that's probably because I'm always the one making sure he doesn't get himself killed," I muttered.

"But this isn't your battle, you heard Dumbledore. He has to do this alone," Lillian shrugged.

My friends went back to their meals, seemingly satisfied at having gotten their point across. I understood where they were coming from, us Slytherins were good at self-preservation, that's all they were trying to get me to see. But they were out of their minds if they really thought I was staying out of this one. Not only was I planning to make sure Harry got out of this alive, I was intent on figuring out who did this and making them pay myself.

Madi nudged me, breaking me out of my train of thought, and I saw she, Blaise, Daphne and Theo had stood up.

"We're going to do our homework by the lake, come?"

I nodded, standing and giving her a thankful smile.

"Wait – Nott, I still need the Divination homework back that I skived off that Hufflepuff," Draco turned to Theodore as we stood.

"I have it with me," Theodore replied, and Draco let out an irritated sigh before standing up, and I rolled my eyes slightly when I realised that meant he was coming with us.

He smirked at my reaction, "Please try and contain your excitement, Black."

"Sorry," I sighed dramatically as we started walking, "Sometimes it just bursts out of me before I can stop it."

He rolled his eyes, turning to talk to Theodore as I looked over at Blaise who was shaking his head at us.

"Children, the both of you."

I laughed, bumping my shoulder with his lightly as we headed down towards the banks of the lake.

I started chatting to Blaise and Madi idly about classes as the six of us walked, we still had ridiculous amounts of homework, which we had amounted to the tournament which was going to be taking a lot of time out of the school year.

As we reached the lake, I noticed Harry sitting with Hermione under a tree and stopped, signalling to the others I'd catch up and heading towards them.

"Hey," Harry said glumly as I sat down, and I shot him a sympathetic look.

"That bad?"

He nodded, "I was just filling Hermione in,"

I looked over at our frizzy haired friend, who looked even more worried than Harry, "I just don't understand who would do this? I mean, Moody was right – to be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's age line-"

"Where's Ron, have you seen him?" Harry interrupted her. I opened my mouth to tell him I'd just seen him at breakfast, but the guilty look on Hermione's face made me stop myself.

"Um…yes, he was at breakfast," she said.

"Does he still think I did this?"

"He what?" I exclaimed incredulously, looking at Harry in bewilderment. I could kind of justify Fred doubting him a little, but Ron was his best friend.

"Well…not really," Hermione still looked hesitant to give him a full answer.

"Spit it out, Hermione," I glared at her, and she sighed.

"I think he's just a little jealous, Harry."

"You're joking?" I exclaimed angrily, and Hermione looked at me with a guilty little shrug.

"What the bloody hell is he jealous of?" Harry said incredulously, looking affronted.

"Look, it's not a secret that you get a lot of attention Harry," well she wasn't wrong there, "And I know it's not your fault," she added, seeing Harry about to protest angrily, "But well, you know he's got all these brothers at home, and you're really famous. I think he's just a bit sick of always being shunted to the side."

"So that gives him an excuse to be a total prat about this?" I said drily, ignoring the disappointed look Hermione gave me. I had no sympathy for Ron, he was supposed to be Harry's best friend and he needed his support right now, not for him to turn on him like everyone else in the bloody school.

"Great," Harry muttered bitterly, "Well tell him he can swap places any time he bloody wants."

"Tell him yourself," Hermione responded haughtily.

"What did your lot have to say, then?" Harry turned to me, obviously keen on changing the subject.

I rolled my eyes, "They think you did this Harry, why wouldn't they? Doesn't matter what I say. They even went as far to tell me not to defend you in case people think I was involved."

Harry snorted, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

I fidgeted a little, glancing over to the picnic table my friends had settled at. Harry let out another irritated sigh, looking out over the lake in silence for a few moments.

"The first task is November 24th."

I frowned, it was the 1st today, so that gave him some time to try and figure out what it would be.

"I gotta go, all the Champions are getting our wands checked by Ollivander, and then apparently we have an interview for the Daily Prophet," he stood suddenly before I could say anything else, not looking the least bit excited.

Hermione and I followed his lead, "Don't tell Ron, he'll only be more of a prat," I joked drily, and Harry tried to smile back.

I nodded in goodbye before he and Hermione headed back to the castle and I made my way over to the picnic table.

I scowled when I realised Parkinson had joined us, and pointedly ignored her and Malfoy as they sat with their heads together, whispering gleefully over a piece of parchment. Whatever it was, I didn't want to know.

"He looks even broodier than usual," Theodore smirked as I sat down.

"I never thought it would be possible," I quipped back, snatching the probably stolen essay he was holding in his hand.

"I was still using that," he commented drily, but I ignored him, starting to copy and transfigure whoever's stolen Herbology essay it was. Sometimes there was just too much work, and Herbology wasn't one of my best subjects so I didn't really care.

We fell into silence as we worked, bar the occasional loud giggle from Parkinson which we all chose to ignore. Whatever she and Malfoy were so interested in over there, I really couldn't care less.

* * *

It became obvious over the coming days that no one was pleased with Harry's entrance in the Tournament, except maybe the Gryffindors. But even then, there were some like Ron who looked at it like a betrayal. Fred said he'd tried to talk to Ron, but his brother wouldn't have any of it. I'd taken to ignoring Ron in solidarity for Harry, it seemed the only two people who weren't treating him any differently were me and Hermione.

The Hufflepuffs seemed to be taking it the worst, the usually docile house had taken to openly glaring and whispering angrily whenever Harry was in sight. I supposed it made sense, Cedric was a Hufflepuff and it was like Harry had stolen his glory. All the champions had become incredibly popular, it was never a surprise to see Viktor Krum or Cedric being followed by a gaggle of giggling girls, or Fleur Delacour being watched by every boy within 5 yards.

I knew Harry was struggling, but there wasn't much I could do other than defend him to anyone who had a go, which a lot of the time was people from my own house. My friends were still adamant on trying to stop me from getting involved, but also had taken to never leaving me by myself. Partly in case anyone tried to retaliate on me, and to stop me from getting a bit carried away like I had when Ernie MacMillan had apparently purposely exploded a Bouncing Bulb on Harry during their Herbology class. Fred had been thrilled when Ernie had ended up in the Hospital Wing with an abnormally large tongue.

It was for that reason that I had skipped lunch on Friday, because as Fred had put it, he wanted to 'thank me properly for putting his products to excellent use'. Which is why he currently had me pressed up against the wall behind a portrait on the bottom floor of the castle.

I giggled, pulling back for a breath, "If this is how you plan to thank me all the time, I should start using your products more often," I tangled my hands in his hair, smirking up at him.

"Please do," he grinned, moving to kiss just below my earlobe softly, earning a satisfied sigh from me as he worked his way around my jaw.

"I have to go, or I'm going to be late for Potions."

"No," he responded, not lifting his head.

"Fred," I whined, and then moaned a little as he nibbled my ear, "Fred! I'm being serious!"

"You have plenty of time," he said, pulling back to pout at me.

"I may be a Slytherin, but Snape still never tolerates tardiness," I said reluctantly, fiddling with the end of his tie.

"Should we test that theory?" Fred raised an eyebrow, running a thumb over my lips, "I still don't know if I've thanked you properly."

I shook my head, not being able to hide my smile, "You're insufferable,"

"Mhm," he murmured in response, capturing my lips with his again.

I let myself get lost for a few more minutes before I finally gave him a firm push and stepped under his arm.

"I really will be late if I don't go now," I said apologetically, and he sighed in defeat.

"Fine," he kissed my forehead gently, taking my hand and tugging me out from behind the portrait.

"I'll see you later," I promised, squeezing his hand before I turned and raced down the corridor, praying I wasn't going to be late. I hastily ran my hands over my hair as I went, trying to flatten it as much as possible so it didn't look like I had just been doing what I was. Thankfully, my hair was usually rather obedient, and I got most of the tangles out of it just before I reached the door to the Potions classroom.

I frowned in confusion as I passed Goyle, who was being escorted by Crabbe, his face covered in boils. I slipped into the classroom as quietly as I could, noticing everyone else was only just settling into their seats also.

"You're late, Black."

I cursed silently, "Sorry Professor."

Snape made no further comment, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I glanced across the room and saw Harry looked especially angry, glaring straight at Malfoy next to me.

I turned to him in confusion, "Why does Harry look like he wants to murder you?" I paused, "More than usual?"

"Oh, you missed all the fun," Malfoy smirked, looking a little too pleased with himself.

"Antidotes!" Snape declared before I could question the blonde further, "You should all have prepared your recipes now, brew them carefully and then we shall select someone to test them on."

I was even more intrigued by what had occurred in the approximate three minutes of class I had missed, as Snape sounded angrier than I had heard him all year.

"Okay," I breathed, looking between the two boys sitting on either side of me, "What the bloody hell did I miss?"

"Haven't you noticed everyone's new accessories, yet?" Malfoy quipped, and I frowned, before my eyes travelled down to a pin on his robes. For a split second, I thought they were wearing Hermione's ridiculous S.P.E.W badges to take the piss, but then realised it was much, much worse.

The badge glowed with luminous red letters, 'SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY – THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!"

I sucked in a breath as I watched them change to green, now reading 'POTTER STINKS'. I quickly glanced around, not even surprised to see every Slytherin in the dungeon had one attached to their robes.

"Hilarious," I commented drily to Malfoy, who still looked incredibly pleased with himself. This must have been what he and Pansy had been working on all week.

I turned to look accusingly at Blaise, pointedly staring at the badge he had on his robes.

He shrugged in return, not looking too bothered, "Come on CB, they're funny. It's just a harmless joke," he stood, heading to the front of the classroom to collect what we would need for our potion.

"Well, Potter didn't find them so funny," Draco piped up again dramatically after Blaise had gone.

I turned back to him, eyes fiery, "I wonder why?"

"He decided to attack me, so naturally I defended myself."

"Naturally."

"Well, unfortunately Goyle and Granger ended up caught in the crosshairs."

The realisation dawned on me, that's why I had passed a boil covered Goyle on the way in and why Hermione was missing from class.

"Let me guess," I continued as Blaise returned to the table, helping him start to spread out the ingredients, "Harry got all the punishments and you got off scot free?"

Draco smirked triumphantly, "Obviously."

"Brilliant," I scoffed, turning away from him and focusing on the instructions in front of us.

"If you want a badge of your own, Black-"

"If you put that stupid pin anywhere near me, I will hex you into next year," I whirled back to face him, glaring viciously. He simply winked in return before he ventured up the front to collect whatever Blaise hadn't been able to carry. Clearly, he was in too good of a mood for even me to ruin. Git.

"Where were you, anyway?" Blaise questioned, looking me up and down suspiciously.

"Nowhere," I said quickly, coughing and subtly trying to make sure my hair was still behaving.

Blaise watched me for a moment, before his eyes widened and his face broke out into a grin.

"You were snogging Weasley somewhere, weren't you?"

"No!" I exclaimed, my cheeks immediately flushing red.

"You so were!" Blaise started laughing, gripping the table.

"Shut up!" I hissed, shoving him roughly and looking around hoping no one was paying attention to us. Malfoy returned then and looked at us suspiciously as I glared warningly at Blaise, who was still struggling to contain his laughter.

"Wow," Blaise smirked, "If I weren't extremely grossed out, I'd almost be proud of you."

"I hate you," I muttered.

"Now I've missed something," Malfoy looked between the two of us, "Care to share the joke, Zabini?"

"No," I exclaimed loudly, "He does not."

"It's nothing," Blaise brushed it off, still smirking, "Just discussing Black's extracurricular activities," he let out another snort of laughter.

Malfoy was still looking between the two of us, clearly not pleased to be left out of the joke.

"Why do you even want to know so much, anyway?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't," he snapped haughtily, "It's just rude."

"Right," I rolled my eyes.

By that point, Blaise had calmed down and the three of us set to work diligently on our potion. It was perfect, as usual, so when Snape chose poor Neville Longbottom to be poisoned at the end of the lesson, our potion cured him right up.

* * *

"I've been looking for you everywhere!"

I jumped, I had been studying in the library, intent on getting a few hours of peace and quiet as that had been hard to come by lately.

"Well, you found me," I sighed as Harry sat down across from me looking stressed, like he usually was lately.

"Hagrid took me out to the forest last night," he continued in a low voice, and I raised an eyebrow in question. He opened his mouth to continue but let out a frustrated sigh instead. I followed his gaze and saw two young looking Ravenclaws holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, whispering and pointing at him.

I rolled my eyes, ten days ago Rita Skeeter had published her article on the Tri-Wizard Champions, and her parts about Harry had been anything less than enlightening. She'd made a whole thing about how he still cried himself to sleep at night over his mother's death, and even gone as far as interviewing other people about him, managing to make up some storyline about Harry and Hermione being involved from interviewing Colin Creevey.

"Bugger off!" I hissed, and the two girls jumped before they quickly scurried off. I smirked, sometimes it was good to have people fear you just from the colour of your robes.

Harry gave me a grateful look, before he continued, "Anyway, he took me out there to show me something."

"Oh no," I groaned, "What disgusting creature has he invented now?"

"No, no," Harry shook his head hastily, "Dragons. There were dragons out there."

My eyes widened, "Why the bloody hell does Hogwarts have dragons in the…" I trailed off, my eyes wide as I looked at Harry's grim expression, "You're joking right? That's the first task, dragons?"

"Yup," Harry said, "And here's the real kicker, Ron's older brother Charlie brought 'em here from Romania."

I blinked, "Did…did Ron tell you?"

"No."

I felt my blood start to boil. Nothing had improved between Harry and Ron in the last couple of weeks, every article or announcement to do with the Tournament or Harry only infuriating him more. Hermione had told me on multiple occasions how fed up she was going back and forth between them, and I had never been happier to not be a Gryffindor. At least I could escape it. Even Fred was sick of it, he kept saying he'd never seen more of Ron than he had this year, and he saw him more than enough at home.

But for Ron to know what the first task was, and not even warn Harry? That, I would not let him get away with.

I stood abruptly, gathering all my books up and walking determinedly from the library, Harry scurrying to keep up with me.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to give Ron Weasley a piece of my mind."

"I was planning on doing that myself, you know?" Harry complained.

"Yes, but no offence Harry, I'm a lot scarier than you," I looked at him, shrugging sheepishly.

"I can't really argue with you there," he sighed. I slowed down a little, letting him keep pace with me a little easier.

"Moody's been loving you in classes lately," I said after a moment as we walked.

Harry rolled his eyes a little, "He keeps asking me about the tournament, how I'm going and stuff. I reckon Dumbledore's asked him to keep an eye on me."

"Makes sense," I mused, but frowned a little. I still had a bad feeling about the ex-Auror. I'd even mentioned it to my dad in a letter, but he'd only had praises for our new Defence teacher, so I hadn't pushed it any further.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Harry smiled at me knowingly.

"I just get a weird feeling," I responded, "It's probably nothing, I just don't like how he teaches I guess."

Harry shrugged, "Well last time you had a bad feeling I ended up in this tournament," he joked lightly.

I knew he was kidding, but he wasn't exactly wrong. Ugh, Trelawney was rubbing off on me too much.

"Hang on," Harry stopped us as we went to walk past the courtyard, I followed his gaze and saw Cedric on the other side.

"I need to talk to him."

"Are you going to tell him?" I asked incredulously, and Harry shrugged.

"Why? He's your competition, Harry!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "If he doesn't know, he might not make it through the first round."

I shook my head in silent disbelief as I watched him stride purposely across the yard towards the older Hufflepuff. Bloody Gryffindors.

I stepped out into the courtyard as well, leaning against one of the pillars as I watched him and Diggory talk. I noticed all of his friends were wearing Malfoy's bloody 'Potter Stinks' badges and were calling out to Cedric not to even bother and just leave. I rolled my eyes, ungrateful gits. Harry was doing their mate a favour.

"Oi, CB!"

I turned and saw Blaise near the base of the large tree to the right of the courtyard. I pushed off the pillar, heading closer and scowling a little when I realised not only were Crabbe and Goyle also there, but Malfoy was perched up in the branches of the tree.

"Where were you?" he smirked as I reached him, "Off snogging in the corridors again?"

I groaned, ever since the first time Blaise had essentially caught me out, he never missed an opportunity to make a joke about me and Fred and our 'extra-curricular activities' as he had so aptly named them.

"I was in the library, you git." I whacked him on the arm.

"Didn't realise those two were friends," he said, rubbing his arm and nodding towards where Harry was just finishing up talking to Cedric.

"They aren't," I rolled my eyes, "Didn't stop Harry from telling him what the first task is anyway."

"You're joking," he scoffed, "Fucking Gryffindors."

I nodded in agreement, straightening up when I noticed Harry had now spotted Ron and was angrily yelling at him. Oh well, I suppose having Harry yell at him would have to do for now.

"Those two still having their lovers spat?" Malfoy remarked from his tree, and I turned to face him with a scowl.

"Sod off, Malfoy."

He only smirked in response, his eyes suddenly moving past me and brightening with interest.

"Oi! Why so tense, Potter?"

I sent him a warning glare, before I turned to see Harry just walking past the tree, stopping when he noticed the group of us.

"My father and I have a bet you see," Malfoy continued, and Harry moved his gaze up to the blonde, his jaw clenched.

"I don't think you'll last ten minutes in this tournament," Malfoy dropped down from the tree, still smirking.

I saw Blaise beside me step back a little, giving my arm a little tug, but I wrenched it from his grip, continuing to glare warningly at Malfoy.

"He disagrees, he doesn't think you'll last five."

"Shut up, Malfoy," I snapped, rolling my eyes. He was clearly just trying to rile Harry up, and I tried to grab onto Harry's arm and pull him away, but he shook me off.

"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy!" he walked right up to Malfoy, shoving him back angrily. My eyes widened as I saw his face twist into anger and I tried to step forward, but Blaise grabbed me by the arm and held me back again.

"Blaise!" I hissed angrily, looking at him traitorously.

"Stay out of it!" he hissed back, like he thought he was doing me a favour.

"He's vile, and cruel," Harry snarled at Draco, who was starting to shake from anger, "And you're just pathetic."

Harry turned and started to storm away, my eyes widening when I saw Malfoy angrily draw his wand.

"Pathetic? I'll show you pathetic!"

"Harry!" I cried out in warning, but before Harry could even react another voice boomed through the courtyard.

"Oh no you don't, sonny!" we turned just as Mad-Eye Moody shot a spell out of his wand, hitting Draco before he ever had a chance to react, and suddenly where Malfoy had just been standing was a small, white ferret.

"Holy Merlin," Blaise breathed from next to me as my eyes widened in shock. Crabbe and Goyle were staring down at him in half-shock, half-fear as they looked back at our professor who was striding purposefully towards us, anger radiating from him.

"I'll teach you to curse someone when their back is turned!" he growled angrily, starting to flick his wand, the ferret – Draco – being flung up and down as he did so. I turned my horrified gaze to Harry, who had a bewildered smile on his face. A crowd rushed over, everyone starting to laugh and murmur as they watched the display. I could only watch with wide eyes, I didn't like Malfoy, but that didn't mean it was okay for a professor to do this to a student. I knew I didn't like him for a reason.

"You stinking, cowardly, scummy, back-shooting!"

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall suddenly ran over, followed by a couple of students I guessed had found her.

"What are you doing?"

"Teaching," Moody muttered, continuing his movements.

Professor McGonagall looked from the ferret, to Harry, to Moody, back to the ferret before the realisation hit.

"Is that a…? Is that a student?!" she exclaimed shrilly, looking horrified. I glanced at Harry, who was openly laughing now, very much enjoying the scene in front of him.

"Technically, it's a ferret," Moody growled, sounding a little defensive. Professor McGonagall stared in horror for a moment, before she waved her wand and pulled Malfoy from Moody's wands grasp over to her, dropping him in her hand where she held him firmly.

"Alastor! We never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" McGonagall was livid as she stared him down, "Surely Dumbledore told you that?"

Moody frowned, "He might have mentioned it," he didn't seem sorry, even being as cheeky as to send Harry a slightly subtle wink.

"Well, you will do well to remember it," McGonagall said coldly, her eyes moving to the still ferret-form Malfoy in her hands. She quickly dropped him to the ground, and waved her wand over him, Malfoy reappearing on the ground, eyes wide and looking rather dishevelled for him.

Blaise and I both did our best to hide our laughs, Blaise moving forward to pull Malfoy up.

He turned, eyes flashing with fury as they focused on Moody, "My father will hear about this," he hissed.

"I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair," Moody growled back, and Draco took a step away, eyes wide again.

"Alastor!" McGonagall exclaimed again, "Enough!"

I could see the situation wasn't going to get any better by Malfoy staying around and moved forward, Blaise following my lead.

"Come on," I shoved him a little so he'd start walking, "You should probably get checked out by Madam Pomfrey."

He looked down at me in surprise, seemingly confused by me effectively helping him.

"Yes, Miss Black, good idea," McGonagall said, "Off with you, back to class!" she shooed the crowd, striding away with a final glare in Moody's direction.

I glanced at Harry over my shoulder as I walked and saw him following Professor Moody out of the courtyard. I cursed silently to myself, that was the last thing I wanted.

We walked in silence at first, none of us daring to say anything.

"Can I just-"

"One word, Zabini," Malfoy said in a low voice, "And you will live to regret it."

I stifled a giggle, exchanging an amused look with Blaise which did not go unnoticed by Malfoy, who scowled at both of us.

"I was just assaulted and the two of you find it amusing?" he demanded.

Blaise snorted, "That seems a bit dramatic."

"Have you ever met him before? Dramatic is one of his middle names," I responded.

"I'll have that lunatic bloody fired for this!" Malfoy hissed, choosing to ignore the both of us who were still trying our best to stop laughing.

I shrugged, "I think you should."

He looked at me, slightly shocked, "I'm sorry, did you just agree with me on something?"

"I've just never liked him, that's all," I responded, "He gives me a weird feeling. Plus, his lesson plans are more dangerous than educational."

"What is it with you and your weird feelings, this year?" Blaise looked over at me curiously.

I subconsciously fiddled with my necklace, "I dunno, but none of them have been wrong yet."

Malfoy snorted, "What? So, you're a seer now, like the crazy old bat?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, I don't have visions, Malfoy. Maybe I'm just perceptive."

"Mental is more like it," he muttered in response, and I glared at him, any agreement between us vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

"Miss Black, what have you done this time?" Madam Pomfrey sighed as we finally reached the Hospital Wing.

"It wasn't me," I pouted, slightly offended, "I've been good this year, you haven't seen me once!"

"Probably because there's no Quidditch," Blaise mused, "Can't fall off any brooms."

"It's not her fault," Malfoy quipped without missing a beat, "She's just so tiny the broom doesn't even realise anyone is riding it."

"I really enjoy these moments with you two," I commented drily, rolling my eyes.

"What is it then?" Madam Pomfrey enquired, waving a hand to interrupt our banter.

"Oh," Blaise said dismissively, exchanging a quick grin with me, "Draco just had a bit of an accident."

"Nothing major," I added lightly, and I could already feel Malfoy glowering at the two of us.

"Only Professor Moody transfiguring him into a ferret."

"Oh, my lord – that man!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, ushering Malfoy to lie down on one of the beds.

"I suppose it was Minerva who fixed you up, then? Right, well we will just check to make sure there are no lasting effects…"

" _Lasting effects?_ "

Blaise and I had to cover our laughter once again at the look of horror on Malfoy's face, who didn't even care enough to glower at us this time.

"Just out of curiosity," Blaise ignored me as I elbowed him in the side, covering my mouth with my hand to at least try and be a little subtle, "What kind of lasting effects are we talking about?"

"Well, if the re-transfiguration was not done correctly, he could revert back to the ferret form at any given moment," Madam Pomfrey explained, oblivious to our amusement as she started bustling around.

"What?" Malfoy exclaimed again, and Blaise and I laughed again at the terrified look on his face, and at the thought of him randomly turning into a ferret again.

"Oh my gods, imagine we're just at dinner and poof, suddenly there's a ferret on his plate?" Blaise grinned.

"Don't worry Malfoy, I'm sure Avery and Parkinson will still want to date you even in ferret form. Your fur looked so soft and fuzzy!" I added, and that did it. Blaise and I couldn't hold it back any longer as we doubled over in laughter, Madam Pomfrey simply shaking her head at us as we tried to catch our breath.

"I swear to Salazar I am going to kill you both," Malfoy scowled, but we paid him no mind as I gripped Blaise's arm and tried to breathe normally again.

"Yes, hilarious, well done you two," he continued to drawl, rolling his eyes.

"Honestly," Blaise let out a deep breath, composing himself, "That just made my year."

"I'm glad you're amused Mr Zabini," Madam Pomfrey looked ready to kick us out, "Everything looks fine Mr Malfoy, there should be no lasting effects."

Malfoy stood up, relief on his features, before fixing a glare back on Blaise and me.

"Have I ever told you two how much I loathe you?"

"Oh, stop it Malfoy you flatter me," I shot back.

"Off with you! Dinner started half an hour ago!" Madam Pomfrey shooed at us, clearly over our presence.

"Are you sure it meets health and safety requirements for Malfoy to attend?"

Malfoy didn't even respond, rolling his eyes before storming ahead of me and Blaise, who continued to laugh all the way down to dinner.

* * *

The Saturday before the First Task was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and I was excited to get out of the castle. It was also my first Hogsmeade trip since Fred and I got together, and it would be nice to go on a proper date instead of snogging behind portraits or eating dinner with everyone else at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione had somehow managed to convince Harry to come, even though he refused unless he could stay under the Invisibility Cloak. I didn't blame him; he had already been famous enough before the tournament and now it was like he couldn't go anywhere without being stared at or accosted by reporters, usually Rita Skeeter.

It was starting to get colder now, so I pulled a coat over the top of my sweater and slipped my green Slytherin scarf around my neck, and matching beanie on my head before heading out of the dorms to meet Fred. The rest of the girls had left just before me, teasing me about Fred as they went and threatening that I better meet them at the Three Broomsticks later.

"Hey," Fred grinned happily as I walked into the courtyard, kissing me softly and looking me up and down for a moment.

"No one pulls off that green as well as you."

I blushed, "Well, none of your brothers look as good as you in those sweaters," I tugged on the bottom of his signature Weasley sweater as we started walking, hands entwined.

"Not even George?" he winked.

"Never."

Fred laughed, placing a kiss to the top of my head as we walked towards the village. I let go of his hand to curl myself around his arm, moving as close as I could to try and stay warm.

"So, what's the plan for the day then?" I questioned; he'd promised me he was going to make our first Hogsmeade trip together one to remember. My only requirement had been that he swore not to take me to Madam Puddifoots, I was not the kind of girl who wanted to sit in a pink shop and drool at her date all afternoon. Fred had assured me it had never even crossed his mind, which had made my stomach flutter that he knew me so well.

"Well, obviously we need to hit Zonko's," Fred began.

"Obviously."

"Then I was thinking Honeydukes, where I will buy you as many sweets as your heart desires."

I giggled, "Are you trying to make me fat?'

He looked at me incredulously, "Are you joking? You eat the most out of any girl I've ever seen and still manage to stay the tiniest person alive."

I groaned, "Don't, I already hear Daphne complaining about my 'blessed metabolism' enough every mealtime."

Fred chuckled, before he continued, "Then we shall spend the afternoon at the Three Broomsticks where you can stare dreamily into my eyes."

I shoved him a little, rolling my eyes as he roared with laughter, "You wish, Weasley."

We continued to chat idly as we walked, and I couldn't help but smile softly up at him while he spoke. I had never imagined that being with Fred would be this easy, part of the reason I had been so hesitant in the first place was that I didn't want to lose the easy closeness we had. But it made me incredibly happy that we hadn't, and now we were closer than I ever would have imagined possible.

"Hey!" I exclaimed happily when I saw Hermione standing outside Honeydukes as we went to walk past.

Hermione looked relieved, "Thank Godric, I look so pathetic being here all alone!"

"You're not actually alone though, remember?" I heard Harry's voice mutter, and smiled in amusement.

"Hermione," Fred said bluntly, "I didn't realise you were friends with ghosts."

Hermione rolled her eyes while I giggled, Fred shooting a wink towards the brunette.

"But I'm afraid we can't stay and make you look less insane," he continued, "Zonko's is on our list before Honeydukes."

"Can't you just go here first?" Hermione frowned.

"Nope," Fred grinned, popping the 'P' noise to make his point before dragging us away, leaving Hermione looking very put out.

"She won't let go of that one any time soon," I laughed as we continued walking. Fred just shrugged, not looking too bothered.

"Like hell I will let Granger interrupt our first Hogsmeade date."

"Aw, who knew you were such a romantic?" I teased.

"Only for you," he kissed my head again, and I was surprised to hear how serious his tone was. Even since we'd been dating it was rare to get any serious moments with him, he was a jokester by nature. So, any time I got comments like that I knew he was being deadly serious. It kind of scared me sometimes how much he seemed to care about me.

I saw his eyes light up mischievously as we entered Zonko's Joke Shop, already seeing the wheels turning on what he would need to cause as much mischief as possible.

"Freddie!" George suddenly appeared in front of us, "About bloody time!"

"How are the stocks looking?" Fred grinned at his twin.

"Like they're about to be emptied!" George responded, before turning to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

My eyes widened, I knew where this was going, "George!" I warned, "No! Don't!"

But before I'd even finished protesting, George had already picked me up off the ground and hugged me as tight as he could. This was how he greeted me every time he saw me these days, despite me threatening him every time he did it. I could hear Fred laughing as George swung me from side to side.

I fixed my beanie and scarf with a scowl after he set me down, looking between the two of them unimpressed.

"Just because I'm small doesn't mean you can just throw me around like I'm a quaffle!"

"Yes, it does," George winked, before he and Fred headed to some shelves over in the corner, Fred grinning at me one more time as he went.

I shook my head, still fixing my clothes as I watched them move through the shelves expertly. It didn't take them long to get what they needed; they knew this shop upside down by now.

"Soon our products will be in that shop, mark my words!" Fred exclaimed as we walked back out into the cold.

"You should be dreaming bigger," I shook my head, drawing their attention, "You should start your own shop."

"Ah," George smiled wistfully, "That's the dream."

"If only it were us in this tournament, that prize money could have been useful," Fred muttered. I frowned slightly, sometimes I forgot that not everyone was as lucky as me to have a long, rich family line to fall back on. I knew money was not something the Weasley's had in abundance, but I just always forgot they didn't as you never heard them complain.

The two of them exchanged a quick knowing look, "Ah, not our last hope," George said, before he started off towards the Three Broomsticks, "I'll see you two lovebirds in a bit!"

"What did he mean, not your last hope?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Nothing, not your concern!" Fred waved it off, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close, "Honeydukes?"

I wasn't quite ready to let it go, "Fred…"

"CB!"

We turned, and I saw Blaise, Madi and Daphne standing just near the door of the Three Broomsticks. I glanced behind them and saw Malfoy waiting behind them with Pansy hanging off his arm. Evidently, he'd decided it was her turn to be his date this weekend.

"You're coming, right?" Daphne called out, the three of them looking at me expectantly. I glanced up at Fred, who looked less than pleased at the presence of my three friends and frowned a little.

"Maybe, got a couple of other things to do first!" I called back, noticing Fred didn't look too pleased with my response.

They seemed satisfied, heading inside the tavern and I turned back to Fred, who was glaring at the empty space they had just been standing in.

"Hey," I said gently, and he looked down at me, "We can always meet up with them for a bit after Honeydukes?"

Fred snorted, "That doesn't sound like my idea of a good time."

I stepped back a little, causing him to drop his arms from around me, "You could at least try and make an effort."

"Like they will?" he responded incredulously. I knew that it was a lot to ask for my friends and my boyfriend to spend time together, but since we'd started dating, I'd been hoping he would at least try and make an effort for my sake. But still he refused to ever come and sit with me at our table or go to anything that he knew my Slytherin friends would be at. It bugged me a lot more than I let on.

"They're my friends, Fred," I sighed, crossing my arms, "You're going to have to get used to that at some point."

"I know," he replied, looking irritated, "But why does that mean I have to hang out with them, too? I doubt they're any fonder of me than I am of them."

"Because you're important to me!" I exclaimed, not being able to stop my frustration pouring out, "And it would be nice if for once all the important people in my life could just get along!"

"Okay," Fred breathed, putting his hands on my arms gently, "I get it, alright? I'm sorry."

I let out a breath, "It's okay, I know they don't make it very easy sometimes."

He smiled at me fondly, "I don't know how you do it."

"What?"

"Manage to balance yourself between all of us like you do," he explained, "Seems exhausting."

I shrugged, "I guess I'm just used to it by now."

He nodded, pulling me into a hug. He was right, it was exhausting sometimes feeling like I was living two different lives. It even felt like I was two different people sometimes, and it was becoming harder these days to figure out which one was the real me.

"I won't be mad if you want to hang with them for a bit," he smiled gently as he pulled back.

I searched his face, "Are you sure?"

"Of course, as long as I get you back eventually."

I grinned, kissing him lightly, "Honeydukes first though!" I exclaimed, and his face lit up into a grin again.

"As you wish!"

* * *

By the time I made it back to the castle that evening, I was completely exhausted. After Fred bought me way too many sweets at Honeydukes, I stayed in The Three Broomsticks for hours, first with my Slytherin friends for a couple of hours, and then ending up with Fred, George and Lee (and ignoring Ron's presence) for another.

Most of them were still there, but I'd decided to head back. Hermione had mentioned Harry had left early when she'd joined us later, so I wanted to see if I could find him to check he was okay.

"Coming back alone, Black? Did your filthy blood-traitor boyfriend get sick of you already?"

I let out a groan, turning to see Gorgia standing just behind me smirking in amusement.

"No, although it seems Malfoy is finally sick of you," her eyes narrowed at my words, "After all he spent all afternoon cosying up to Parkinson. Not that I see the appeal of either of you, to be honest." I snorted.

"You should watch your mouth," she hissed, "Or things could get a lot more dangerous for you."

I narrowed mine right back at her in suspicion, "And what the hell does that mean?"

She smirked, "I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

"You know, I'm getting a bit tired of your empty threats. Maybe people would take you more seriously if you weren't such a phony."

She took a step closer, her green eyes flashing with anger, "I know what you're doing, Black. You act like you're all innocent, playing both sides and having everyone just adore you!"

"But one day soon that will all blow up in your face, and I'll be there to watch you crumble."

I straightened up, determined not to show her that her words instilled any kind of fear in me, "You don't know a damn thing about me Avery."

She smirked, "We'll see."

And then she stalked off, making sure to knock into my shoulder roughly as she went. I rubbed it slightly, looking after her, before I let out a sigh and pulled out the Marauders Map. I enlarged it back to size, scanning the pages for Harry's name. My dad had bequeathed the map to me when James had given the cloak to Harry before we started at Hogwarts. Harry and I swapped them quite often, both needing them for different reasons.

I spotted him up in the Owlery and headed there as quick as my tired legs would take me. He jumped when he heard my footsteps, but relaxed when he saw it was just me.

"How was Hogsmeade?" he asked, sounding a little bitter. I didn't blame him; it must have been awful to have to spend his whole day under the cloak.

"It was fine," I shrugged, "How are you?"

"Fine," he shot back, and I scoffed. I knew what he was doing.

"I don't really think any of my problems amount to yours right now, Harry. So, I don't really want to trouble you with them."

"I could use a little bit of normal to be honest," he muttered, as I came to lean on the other side of the window he was standing in.

"Have you figured out what to do about the dragons?" I questioned.

"Moody suggested a few things," he mused, looking over at me, "I'll ask Hermione as well,"

"Something else is bothering you," I kicked his foot gently, raising my eyebrows. There wasn't much he could get past me.

"I got a letter from Dad today," he sighed, "He told me something about Karkaroff. He used to be a Death Eater, Cass."

My eyes widened in shock, "You're joking?"

He shook his head grimly, "He wasn't even planning on telling me at first, said he didn't want me worried about anything other than the tournament."

"Do they think it was him, then?" I wondered, "Who entered you in the first place?"

Harry shrugged, "I dunno, maybe? Doesn't make much sense to me, he was the angriest out of everyone at me being allowed to compete. All he cares about is Krum winning."

"It all just feels too related though doesn't?" I frowned, "Death Eaters showing up at the World Cup and now Karkaroff here?"

"Yeah, I don't really believe in coincidences much either anymore," he agreed grimly.

"Come on," I nodded towards the stairs, "I'm starved."

Harry nodded, gazing out over the lake for a moment before he followed me out of the Owlery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This one had some Cassie/Draco/Blaise trio action, which is one of my personal fav trios! Also a little bit of insight to the divide she feels between her two groups of friends along with some Fred fluff. Next chapter is the First Task! I hope you've been enjoying so far, please leave a review if you have any comments at all - I love reading anything you have to say!


	6. The First Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we go, the First Task! There may be a first little Draco moment in this one for you all as well ;) Thanks so much to all of you who have been reading, I hope I'm living up to your expectations!

All too soon, the 24th had arrived. It was the day of the first task, and the whole school was buzzing. Lessons were to finish at 12pm, and then the task was set for after lunch. I had spent the last two nights in the library until the early hours of the morning with Hermione and Harry, the two of us trying to catch him up on how to do a Summoning Spell to use in the task. It was safe to say I was exhausted.

I stifled another yawn as I walked towards the giant arena that had been set up with Madi, who was craning her neck to look for the others, before nudging me and pointing towards the top left of the stand.

"They're over there, are you coming?"

I shook my head, "I'm going to sit with the others, where we'll actually be cheering for Harry,"

She shrugged, "Fair enough, find you later!"

I gave her a small wave, before heading over to the front right where Hermione said everyone would be.

"BETS! PLACE YOUR BETS!"

I stopped when I heard the familiar voice crying out over the crowd, turning in confusion to see my boyfriend and his twin brother traipsing through the stands with betting boxes around their necks.

"Bets taken here!" George was yelling, and my mouth dropped open when I saw just how many students were stopping and placing them.

"Fred!" I yelled, and he looked over at me with wide eyes, before he bounded towards me.

"Ah… caught," he said sheepishly.

"Is this the back-up plan you two were talking about?" I demanded, and he nodded.

I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips, "Is it even legal?"

Fred simply winked in response, before he headed back down the aisles continuing to yell "BETS!"

I shook my head, heading down near the front of the stand, sitting next to Ginny and glaring at the top of Ron's head in the row below us.

"Where's Hermione?" I asked her.

Ginny shrugged, "Haven't seen her since lunch, she rushed off somewhere before I left."

"Did you see your brothers parading around with their bloody bets?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yep," Ginny remarked, "They've been working on that plan for a while."

"I thought they were already making a bit selling their products?"

She nodded, "They are, but not enough. They've realised they need quite a lot if they're gonna open that stupid joke shop."

She glanced at me, a little confused, "Didn't he tell you any of this?"

I sighed, "We don't talk much about anything related to money."

Ginny shot me a sympathetic look, but I knew she understood why just as well as I did. Hermione appeared then, rushing over and standing between Ron and Neville Longbottom.

"Where have you been?" I asked, and she turned to look at us, looking frazzled and a little bit pink in the cheeks.

"I just went to wish Harry good luck."

"Why are you all red?" Neville asked obliviously.

"No reason!" she squealed, "We should pay attention, it's starting soon!"

Ginny and I exchanged a confused look, before my attention was drawn as Fred and George appeared next to me, Fred wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Nervous?" he asked me seriously.

"Ridiculously," I sighed, leaning into his side gratefully as he pressed a kiss to my temple.

"He'll be right," George piped up, "Most bets on Harry were on him passing just by pure dumb luck!"

I snorted, "That sounds about right."

I glanced around the stadium, seeing banners and flags for all the different champions everywhere; even Harry I noticed with relief. Looking up into the teacher's box, I saw my dad, James and Remus had already arrived, and were standing whispering amongst themselves. I had to stop myself from laughing when I saw Professor Snape had positioned himself as far away as he could on the other side of the box, and still didn't look like it was enough space.

"GOOD AFTERNOON!" The voice of Ludo Bagman suddenly boomed through the stadium, "And welcome to the first task of the 126th annual Tri-Wizard Tournament!"

The stadium erupted into cheers, and I could only imagine how nervous Harry must be feeling back in that tent hearing all the noise.

"Today our champions skills will be put to the test as they attempt to retrieve a golden egg, which holds a vital clue towards their second task! However, this will not be as easy as it sounds. For every egg will be guarded by a mother dragon who thinks the egg is one of her own!"

The gasps and murmurs echoed through the crowd, there had been so much speculation over the last few weeks on what the first task would be, but I don't think anyone had prepared themselves for something like this.

"Each contestant is allowed only their wand, and will be judged on creativity, time and how effectively they collect their egg!"

Fred squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, and I gave him the best smile I could muster. I was worried, even though Hermione and I had worked with Harry for hours, there was always the chance this plan might not work.

"The four champions have drawn their dragons, and Cedric Diggory will be going first!" the stands around us erupted into cheers, banners in Hufflepuff colours waving in the air.

"He will be followed by Miss Delacour, then Mr Krum, and finally Mr Potter!"

I groaned, of course Harry ended up drawing last. Now I would have to sit here watching all the others, only getting more nervous every time. I didn't care about anyone else except for him.

The crowd watched in awe, and slight horror as a blue coloured dragon with a horn on its snout was dragged into the arena, Fred and George nudging each other excitedly when they spotted their brother Charlie. The dragon was clearly unhappy, roaring and snarling at the handlers before she settled over the nest, covering the golden egg.

"It doesn't look too vicious," Ginny commented weakly, and we looked at her incredulously. Vicious or not, it was still a bloody dragon.

"That one isn't even the worst," Ron turned to us, and I narrowed my eyes automatically at him, "Charlie said whoever gets the horntail one would be pretty unlucky."

"And you still didn't think that information was important to share with Harry, you prat?" I snapped.

Ron flushed red, opening his mouth to retort, but Hermione gripped his arm and turned him back around, shooting me a disappointed glare as she did so.

"Whoever put bets on Harry passing by pure dumb luck may end up being disappointed," George shook his head with a sigh.

"Yeah, with his luck he'll draw that dragon," Fred grimaced.

Any further talk ceased as the crowd suddenly erupted when Cedric appeared in the arena, clad in yellow and black robes with 'DIGGORY' embroidered along the back. I watched as Cedric started moving slowly through the arena, trying to stay out of view of the dragon, sneaking around the rocks directly opposite the nest. Suddenly, he fired off a spell at one of the rocks, and I gasped out a laugh as it transfigured into a dog. Cedric darted around the outskirts as the dragon was distracted, moving slowly to not attract the dragon's attention away from the poor Labrador he'd transfigured. It was a slow process, and just as he darted out to reach for the egg, the dragon decided it was much more interested in him, catching his arm in the flame just as he seized the egg.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman's voice echoed as the stadium cheered loudly for Cedric, "One down, three to go!"

I found myself getting caught up with the thrill of it all as Fleur and Krum stepped out next. I gasped and cheered along with the crowd as Fleur managed to lull her dragon to sleep but wasn't able to avoid her skirt getting caught in a fiery breath which slowed her time down. Krum viciously blinded his dragon, earning him a quick time but losing points as his dragon trampled some of her other eggs.

Before I knew it, they were dragging the Hungarian Horntail out into the arena, and my eyes widened in fear when I saw it up close.

"None of the other dragons have been like this one!" I hissed out, my fear for Harry building.

"Like we said," Fred commented drily, "The luck on the kid…"

The whistle blew, and I cheered as loud as I could with the crowd around us as Harry walked out, looking like a deer in the headlights as his eyes landed on the Horntail perched on her nest; snarling and thrashing her tail at him.

"Come on Harry…" I whispered.

" _Accio_ _Firebolt_!" he shouted as he raised his wand.

The whole crowd drew in a large collective breath, all of us waiting in silence. I was sure my heart was beating so hard the people around me would be able to hear it. Suddenly, his broom came speeding over the stadium making some people duck as it raced over their heads.

"YES!" I yelled out as the cheers erupted once more. Harry kicked from the ground, and I saw the change in his posture as soon as he mounted that broom, he was where he belonged.

He circled above, surveying for a moment before he suddenly dived, the Horntail watching his every move. I cried out as a jet of fire narrowly missed him when he swerved.

"Diversion tactics!" George exclaimed, "Brilliant!"

"Great Scott, he can fly! Are you watching this Mr Krum?!" Bagman yelled.

Harry continued to fly up and down, round and round, the dragon never taking her eyes off him. I realised with a grin that he was trying to make the bloody thing dizzy, which would be more effective if the dragon couldn't just breathe fire if it got frustrated. I was right, the next moment he had to dodge quickly as another burst of flames shot into the sky, so hot that we could feel it in the stands.

My heart dropped to my chest as the tail whipped up, the whole crowd crying out with me as it caught Harry's arm.

"Shit!" I cursed, watching him closely for any signs of major injury, but still he flew.

"None of this will do him any good if that bloody thing doesn't get off its nest!" Fred yelled over the noise, and I grimaced as I realised he was right.

Like he had heard him, Harry continued his movements, almost like he was teasing her, begging her to chase him. The dragon watched him like a snake watched its charmer, her head swaying back and forth with his movements, little puffs of smoke blowing out of her nose as she glared at him. He rose further, and she let out a little roar of frustration. I gripped the edge of the railing as he narrowly avoided being burned to a crisp once again, flying just a little bit higher.

"Come on…"

And then she bit, rearing her legs and spreading out her great leathery wings, the egg in clear view underneath her.

"YES! GO HARRY!" The cheers around me were only getting louder, but I couldn't bring myself to form any words, my eyes glued to Harry as he dove.

And then he had it. He flew back over the stands, golden egg tucked safely under his arm. The cheers were deafening, and I laughed as Fred picked me up off the ground and jumped up and down happily.

"Look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg!" Bagman's incredulous voice echoed through the stands, barely loud enough to be heard over the chanting for Harry.

I saw him dive down, heading back towards the champions tent and didn't even hesitate to run out of the stands as Fred put me down. I raced as fast I could, reaching the outskirts of the tent just as Harry was being congratulated by Professor McGonagall, Hagrid and Mad-Eye.

"HARRY!" I threw my arms around him, laughing happily as he hugged me back as best he could with one arm.

I pulled back with a grin, "You did it!"

"I guess I did," he was grinning too, eyes shining.

"Right, first-aid tent please Potter!" McGonagall ushered him off, "Madam Pomfrey is already tending to the other champions!"

"Bloody did it, di'nt he?" Hagrid beamed, looking down at me with pride shining in his eyes, "An' agains' the Horntail!"

"He was brilliant, Hagrid," I responded.

"Tha' he was," the giant gave me one more grin before he trudged off, and I glared at Moody as he looked over at me for a moment before he walked off after him.

"Cassie!" I turned when I heard Hermione's cry, seeing her running towards me.

"Did you see him? Is his arm alright?"

I nodded, "Madam Pomfrey's having a look now, but he seemed fine."

Hermione's face lit up, rushing past me as we headed into the tent.

Harry was already standing up next to the bed, just releasing a still beaming Hermione.

"Harry, you were brilliant! You were absolutely amazing!"

"Thanks Hermione, I couldn't have done it without you," he turned to me, "Either of you."

I winked, "Obviously."

James put a hand on my shoulder, beaming at me as he walked past before pulling Harry into his chest, he was grinning at him when he pulled back, and I could see his eyes shining with pride.

I glanced out of the tent behind me, and saw my father and Lupin just outside, chatting quietly.

"How many near heart attacks did you suffer?" I teased as I approached them.

"Only three," my dad responded.

"James?"

"Oh, at least two real and five near ones," he winked.

I laughed, "That's better than I expected."

My dad laughed along, before pulling me in for a tight hug.

"He made it out," I said.

"One down, two to go," my dad mused, grimacing slightly. He was right, we were nowhere near out of the woods yet.

The others appeared back out of the tent, "Come on, they're doing the scores!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Who put sugar in your cereal this morning?" I grumbled, baffled at how she had so much energy when we'd both been up all night.

Madame Maxime, the first judge, was just raising her wand into the air as we came back to the edge of the arena, a silvery 8 shooting into the air.

"That's not bad," I raised my eyebrows.

Mr Crouch was next, shooting a number 9 out of his wand.

"Yes!" Hermione shook Harry's arm happily, causing him to wince a little in pain.

Dumbledore also scored a 9, the crowd was losing their absolute minds at this point. And then Bagman shot out a 10 from his wand.

"What?" Harry blinked in disbelief, as the rest of us cheered happily for him, Hermione positively bursting at this point.

Finally, Karkaroff raised his wand, pausing for a moment before the number 4 rose into the air.

"What!" Hermione exclaimed angrily.

"Biased prick," I glared, "He gave Krum a 10!" I exchanged a quick look with Harry when we saw our dad's both frowning at the Durmstrang High-Master as well.

"You're tied for first place, Harry." Remus grinned, clapping him on the back.

I whooped, nudging into him happily as he grinned.

"I think they wanted another word with you before you head back," James looked back in the direction of the tent, and Harry nodded, before turning to me.

"Come to the Common Room later? I'm sure we'll be celebrating."

"Yeah I will," I agreed, and he grinned before rushing back down to the tent.

I said my goodbyes to my dad and the others, who told us they'd see us soon a little suspiciously, like they knew something we didn't, before I headed back up to the castle. Hermione had decided to wait for Harry, so I walked back alone in silence, reflecting on what I'd just seen. If there was one thing I couldn't deny, it was that this tournament was an exciting thing to watch.

I let out a sudden surprised yelp when I felt someone pick me up and spin me from behind.

"How bloody good was that?" Blaise grinned as he put me back down, ignoring the glare I was giving him for picking me up in the first place.

"It had it all," Madi agreed, linking onto my right arm as they fell into stride with me, "Flames, near-death experiences…"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves."

"Oh, come on," Blaise snorted, "Even you must have found some of it entertaining."

"Except the parts where I thought Harry was going to die."

"Those were the best parts...OW!" Blaise rubbed where I'd just whacked him over the back of the head.

"Asshole."

"We're all going to the Hufflepuff after-party," Madi said, "Considering you ditched us earlier I think you're obliged to attend."

I gave her a withering glare, which she only smirked in response to, "I can't. I'm going to the Gryffindor one."

"Ugh, boring," Blaise scoffed.

"You're on my last nerve today, Zabini," I warned, shoving him a little as we reached the castle.

"Aren't I always?" he exclaimed over his shoulder as he and Madi headed towards the basement, and I headed up towards Gryffindor Tower.

Luckily, when I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady I ran into Ginny and Neville, who let me in with the password, the Fat Lady scowling at me the whole time. Even though it was technically an inter-house party, I knew I would probably be the only Slytherin in attendance.

I saw Fred and George bustling around a table piled with cakes, goblets of pumpkin juice and Butterbeer and headed over, picking a cake from the top of the pile.

"Hey, I was hoping you'd be here," Fred grinned, kissing my cheek happily.

"Raided the kitchens, then?" I mused, staring at the masses of food and drink surrounding us.

He and George nodded proudly, "Only the best for Harry!"

Like he'd heard his name, the door to the Common Room opened and Harry and Hermione walked in, Harry's face breaking out into a huge grin when everyone cheered. Fred and George ran over to him, hoisting up on their shoulders before placing him on a table in the middle of the room where everyone continued to yell and cheer. I stood off to the side, watching how happy Harry looked, the happiest I'd seen him all year.

"Who wants me to open it?" he yelled out, holding the golden egg above his head. I rolled my eyes, dramatic as always.

"Yeah!"

"Do you want me to open it?!"

I snorted, watching with a shake of my head as everyone only screamed louder, Harry smirking in satisfaction. Everyone fell silent as he slowly twisted the top of the egg, before we ducked and covered our eyes as the most horrible, high-pitched shriek filled the room.

Harry quickly twisted it closed, grimacing at the egg in horror. Even the portraits in the room were horrified, some of them had even fled from their portrait completely.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

Everyone turned to see Ron standing in the stairs that lead up to the dormitories, his eyes wide, staring right at Harry. Heads turned to look between the two estranged friends, everyone waiting in anticipation.

"Alright everyone, go back to your knitting!" Fred exclaimed loudly, "This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosy sods listening in."

The crowd started to disperse, and I chuckled as I made my way over to where Harry was about to meet Ron.

"Harry," he was saying seriously as I reached them, "I reckon whoever put your name in that Goblet is trying to do you in."

I scoffed, and Harry looked just as unimpressed as me.

"Caught on, have you?" he said bitterly. Ron at least had the decency to look guilty, but I haven't forgiven him yet. Harry had needed him more than ever these last few weeks, and he'd just turned his back on him like he was nothing, and that didn't sit right with me.

"Well, I'm not the only one who thought it, everyone was saying it behind your back."

"Not helping your case, Weasley," I narrowed my eyes, and he shot me an annoyed look.

"I warned him about the dragons!" he exclaimed.

"No," Harry frowned, "Hagrid did."

"No, no, no, I did!" Ron's eyes widened, "Remember? I told Hermione, to tell you, that Seamus told me, that Parvati told Dean, that Hagrid was looking for you."

Harry and I both blinked, exchanging a look of disbelief.

"Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along," Ron continued to ramble, and I could see he was getting worried now that Harry really wasn't going to forgive him. I knew better, I knew Harry would forgive him for just about anything, that's who he was.

He sagged in defeat a little, "Thought we'd be alright, after you figured that out."

"Who could possibly figure that out?" Harry said bluntly, "It's completely mental." I snorted, then coughed to cover my laugh when Harry shot me a small warning look.

"I suppose I was a bit distraught," Ron mumbled.

"Boys," I heard Hermione exclaim from behind me, and turned to grin at her, nodding in agreement.

Absolute idiots, the lot of them.

* * *

After around an hour, I decided to leave Gryffindor Tower and try and find some of my friends at Cedric's after-party. It wasn't that I didn't want to hang out with Harry and the others, it was just that I never really felt welcome in their house's Common Room. It made sense, it wasn't as if us Slytherins and Gryffindors were supposed to be friends.

I felt a little bad, I hadn't even said goodbye to anyone, just snuck out when they weren't paying attention. I just didn't want them to feel like they had to come with me, or feeling guilty that I hadn't exactly been having a good time.

I had just passed the portrait that led into the kitchens when the doors to the Hufflepuff Common Room opened and Draco Malfoy stepped out. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw me, leaning against the wall casually as I approached.

"Are you the welcoming committee?" I quipped.

"I wouldn't bother," he rolled his eyes, "Pretty lame idea of a party, not that I expected much anyway."

"Great," I muttered in disappointment, contemplating whether to take his word for it or go in anyway.

"Did the Gryffindors kick you out already?" Malfoy smirked.

I scowled at him, "I chose to leave, arsehole."

"Right," he scoffed, "But I'm sure they made you feel very welcome before you did."

I didn't respond, mostly because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being right and turned and started towards our dorms. It took me a moment to realise he was walking beside me, and I glanced at him suspiciously.

"Don't think we're walking together Black, I'd already decided I was going to head back," he said haughtily.

We walked in silence, neither of us really knowing what to say. Even though he'd been just as much of a prat as usual, I had realised I hadn't really been butting heads with the blonde as much as I usually would. Most of our interactions now were more witty banter than actual arguments, and I wasn't exactly sure what the change had been. It felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to drop whatever façade he was using and reveal his master plan.

"Potter managed to survive today, then," he said, breaking the silence.

"Bet you're thrilled," I rolled my eyes.

"It was dumb luck," he sneered, "Just like everything else he does."

I glared at him, "Harry summoning his broom wasn't dumb luck, he knows his strengths, so he used them."

Malfoy scoffed, "Please, you expect me to believe you weren't sneaking out of the Common Room to help him the last few nights? I highly doubt you were sneaking off to go shag Weasley."

I chose to ignore his last jab, mostly because if I thought about it too much I knew my cheeks would start to burn, and I did not want to give him the ammunition that would come with that.

"How do you know I've been sneaking out?" I demanded instead.

He smirked, "Well, I just happened to be sneaking back into my own dorm at the same time."

I twisted my face up in disgust, "Ugh, I do not want to know about your late-night shenanigans, Malfoy. I don't really fancy throwing my guts up right now."

"You admit it then," he said triumphantly, "You were helping Potter."

I went silent, which he seemed to take as a yes.

"Bloody hell Black, why can't you just listen to everyone and just stay out of it?" he rolled his eyes.

"Not really my style," I frowned, "Why do you care anyway?"

"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I'm just trying to look out for you?" he snapped, glaring down at me.

"And why the hell would you do that?" I scoffed.

"We are in the same house, remember Black? And despite what you might think, I don't actually hate having you around sometimes."

I stopped, looking up at him in surprise, "What?"

"I said sometimes," he rolled his eyes, "Don't get too excited."

"What game are you playing at?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

Malfoy let out a sigh, almost as if he were annoyed, "I'm not playing a game. Even you have to admit you find our banter entertaining."

I frowned; he wasn't wrong. But even so, he was still Malfoy, and him being a little nicer to me than usual this year didn't excuse everything he'd ever done or that he still treated Harry and the others as awfully as he always had. But it had always been a lot more fun in our house when he and I weren't fighting all the time, less tension.

"So what?" I scoffed, "You want to be friends now?"

He snorted, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

I rolled my eyes, giving up on having any sort of productive conversation with him, and stalked towards the Common Room without another word, ignoring him as he kept in stride with me.

"Balderdash," I snapped at the door, which swung open, letting us both inside.

"You know it's rude to walk away from someone when they're talking to you," he snapped as we walked in.

I turned back to face him, crossing my arms and looking at him expectantly, "Go on then."

"I just thought by now you would have given up on pretending to hate me," he shrugged.

"I do hate you," I shot back.

He smirked, "Liar."

I glowered at him, "How do you know I'm lying, why shouldn't I hate you? You've given me plenty of reason to over the years."

"True," he shrugged, "But you don't."

I didn't respond, choosing instead to glare at him silently in response.

He rolled his eyes, "One day soon Black, you're going to have to admit your life is much better with me around."

"Keep telling yourself that," I scoffed, watching him as he sauntered past me and towards the boy's dorms.

* * *

December snuck up on us, and soon enough we were only a few weeks out from Christmas. The temperature had dropped rapidly over the last couple of weeks, our homework also starting to pick up again as the Second Task drew closer.

We were at breakfast one Saturday, and I was frowning down at the latest edition of the Daily Prophet when Daphne came running in, slamming a piece of paper down on the table and covering the article I had been looking at.

"No worries, I wasn't reading that," I commented drily, shooting her a small glare as she sat down next to Malfoy across from me.

"Look at it!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat in excitement - Malfoy glaring at her out of the corner of his eye in annoyance as she did so.

"What is it?" Lillian asked, leaning over my shoulder curiously as I begrudgingly picked up the piece of parchment, knowing the blonde would not settle down until I did.

"There's a ball!" Daphne squealed, not able to hold it in any longer.

"You're joking," Madi snatched it out of my hand, ignoring the angry look I shot her as she did so.

" _Attention all students,_ " she read out, " _It is our pleasure to announce the traditional Yule Ball will be held on Christmas night in celebration of the Tri-Wizard Tournament for fourth years and above. Formal dress robes required, chaperones are needed, and any wands drawn will be confiscated. We hope for a wonderful night in honour of our champions and their bravery._ "

"Oh," I realised, a grin crossing my face. "That's why my dad was so cryptic on seeing me soon after the First Task. They're probably invited."

"Guess it'll be Christmas at Hogwarts this year then," Theodore stated.

"Fine with me," Madi muttered next to me, tossing the parchment back on the table and smiling at me gratefully when I squeezed her arm gently in reassurance. Madi only ever went home for Christmas because she said being alone at Hogwarts was worse. Blaise had tried his best to get her invited to his house for break the year before, but his mother had shut it down immediately. So, part of me was thankful we would all be here this year, maybe my best friend could enjoy her holiday for once.

"I knew over the holiday," Parkinson remarked from a little down the table, "Everyone knows the Tri-Wizard Tournament always holds a ball. My robes are already finished, they're made of Venetian unicorn hair," she bragged. None of us responded, Blaise and I exchanging an eye roll across the table at her stuck-up brag. I had to hold in a gag when Millicent and the Carrow twins immediately started throwing compliments her way, Parkinson looking incredibly pleased with herself.

"I have to send Mummy to Madame Malkin's right away," Daphne said, already looking frazzled, "It's only three weeks away, that's barely enough time at all!"

"Ugh," Tracey groaned, "How am I supposed to find a decent date in that time?"

"I'm sure Crabbe would go with you, Davis," I said, grinning when she whacked me harshly on the arm with a glare.

"Oh, it's fine for you," Lillian rolled her eyes, "You have a boyfriend, so nothing to worry about."

"If you can call him a suitable escort," Malfoy snorted, making me shoot him a sharp glare, which he ignored.

I re-focused back on the Prophet, frowning as I read through yet another article from Rita Skeeter trashing Hagrid and his teachings. She'd interrupted one of our classes last week, and now had started a smear campaign against our gamekeeper. This woman was really starting to get on my nerves.

"Frowning at that paper won't help your ugly oaf of a friend, Black," Gorgia suddenly sneered from down the table, and I rolled my eyes slightly, not even bothering to look up.

"Don't remember asking for your opinion, Avery. Didn't you ever get taught any manners?"

"He's in serious trouble you know," Gorgia continued, unfazed, "You need a licence for breeding two species together."

I finally looked up, glaring at her viciously "Yes, and I'm sure your exclusive one-on-one interview with Skeeter was very enlightening on those particular details."

She smirked triumphantly, "There's no chance that idiot will last another month, right Draco?" she turned to Malfoy for back up like always, looking as smug as ever.

Malfoy blinked, looking a little surprised that she'd involved him. I don't even think he'd been listening that closely as it took him a moment to register what she was even talking about.

He finally rolled his eyes, "I don't really give a damn Gorgia, the whole thing is boring me now."

Gorgia opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, before glaring between me and Draco furiously and turning away in a huff. The rest of the table had all gone into stunned silence, I don't think there had ever been a time where Malfoy hadn't jumped on the chance to insult Hagrid, and even I couldn't help but stare at him in confusion.

He must have noticed how dumbfounded everyone was because he let out an irritable sigh before he stood from the table. "If you all are done looking like idiots, I'm going to get on with my day," he glanced at me quickly, before he turned and stalked from the Great Hall, leaving the rest of us still in shock.

"He's finally lost it," Theodore commented, breaking the weird air that hung around us. Tracey, Lillian and Daphne immediately dove into detailed talks about the ball, and Blaise and Theo returned to the earlier conversation they'd been having with Adrian Pucey.

Madi nudged me, staring at me with a pointed look in her eyes. "Doesn't that prove it enough for you?'

I frowned, Madi had been the only one I'd told about what Malfoy had said to me after the First Task. I had immediately regretted that decision though, as it had only fuelled her claims that the two of us fancied each other.

"I told you," I hissed quietly, "Nothing has changed."

"And I told you," she rolled her eyes, "You changed. You got a boyfriend and now he wants what he can't have, it's typical male behaviour."

I didn't bother responding, shooting her a small glare so she'd know to drop it. I was only just coming around to the idea of Malfoy and I possibly being friends, I did not need her getting into my head that his motive might be something else entirely. Besides, I was happy with Fred. And nothing Draco Malfoy of all people did was going to change that.


	7. Fine Line

"This is the best day of my life," I whispered to Lillian, already grinning at the scene that was about to take place in front of us.

Every house had been given a period free to be reminded of 'proper etiquette and dance techniques' for the upcoming ball. We were sitting with boys and girls on opposite sides of the room, and Severus Snape stood in front of us - looking as uncomfortable as I had ever seen him - scowling at us before clapping his hands together sharply to silence the room.

"The Yule Ball," he drawled, sounding even more dull than usual, "Is a tradition that comes with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and unfortunately, the Headmaster has decided to continue this tradition."

A few giggles erupted at his obvious displeasure, which he silenced with sharp glares. Lillian and I were gripping onto each other as tight as we could to stop ourselves from bursting out into laughter.

"Now let me be clear, I will not have any of you behaving improperly or inappropriately, or I will personally give you detention for the next year if need be." He swept his gaze over all of us, "You will not only be representing our school but also our house, and so do not think for even a moment that I won't be watching you. I will not have you imbeciles besmirching our house's name because you can't behave for even one night."

"Does that mean Crabbe and Goyle can't stand at the food table stuffing their faces all night?" Tracey muttered from my other side, and I ducked my head, covering my hand with my mouth to try and hide my laughter.

"Since you seem to find this so funny, Miss Black…" My eyes widened, and I turned to glare at Tracey accusingly, who shrugged innocently in response. "Perhaps you would like to come up here and demonstrate to your classmates what proper behaviour is supposed to look like."

I looked at him innocently, "Oh no sir, I'm fine."

His eyes narrowed, "That was not a request."

I stared back at him for a moment, silently challenging him, but to no avail. I sighed, shooting one more glare Tracey's way before I begrudgingly stood up and walked to the middle of the room.

"Not the right choice if you want to learn proper behaviour," I heard Malfoy comment to Blaise, both Snape and I turning to glare at him as he did so.

"Mr Malfoy."

My eyes widened, and I turned back to Snape, silently begging him with my eyes not to do what he was about to do. He simply smirked, knowing exactly what I was trying to tell him, and looked back at Malfoy with a sharp look.

"Up."

"Sir, just give me detention. Honestly, this is the cruelest punishment you've ever given me," I said, watching with wide eyes as Malfoy stood, a smug smirk on his face as he walked over to us.

I could hear my friends giggling behind me, and silently promised to sneak canary creams into their dinners later.

"I am well aware that many of you have had previous dancing instruction," Snape continued to address the room, not even acknowledging my comment, "This will not excuse you from paying attention, however. Now, Mr Malfoy, Miss Black, if you will?"

I glared openly at my favourite professor, not missing the slight look of enjoyment in his eyes from what he was making me do. I realised I wasn't getting out of this one and turned to look at Malfoy as the music started.

"Try and keep up, will you?" he muttered, placing one hand expertly on my waist and grabbing my other one.

I glared, putting my other hand on his shoulder, "You do know I know how to dance, right?"

"Sorry, sometimes I forget you weren't actually raised by dogs." I didn't miss the irony of his statement, glaring at him warningly as the music started.

We immediately started expertly twirling around the room, and I tried not to focus on how his hand felt warm on my waist, or how easily we seemed to move together to the music. It was nothing more than both of us being practiced dancers. I heard Blaise let out a loud wolf-whistle and turned to glare at him furiously. I noticed Malfoy trying to hide his own laugh and turned my angry stare back to him.

"Stop enjoying this so much," I hissed.

"Don't act like you haven't always dreamed of being this close to me," he shot back.

I wrinkled my nose up in disgust, "I think you have me confused with Avery or Parkinson. Not all of us are constantly bending over backwards just to be noticed by you."

His smirk grew, "I can bend you over backwards any time you like, Black."

I almost stopped dancing from shock, but he gave a swift little tug that kept me on my feet, ignoring the daggers I was shooting him as he continued to twirl us around with a smug look on his face.

"That will do," Snape finally drawled, and I stepped away from him immediately. I stomped back to my seat without another word, glaring at my friends who seemed to find the whole situation hilarious.

"Shut up!" I hissed angrily.

"The best part of that whole thing," Lillian gasped out between her giggles, "Was the _look_ on Avery's face the entire time."

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Gorgia fuming a few seats down, the Carrow twins on either side of her whispering and shooting me accusing looks every few seconds. I turned back to face the front, rolling my eyes.

"If anyone was delusional enough to think I enjoyed that experience that's their own problem."

Daphne and Madi exchanged a smug look, "You two looked good together, great technique," Daphne commented vaguely, a small smile on her face.

I groaned, "Can't we please just pretend that whole thing never happened?"

"Not likely," Tracey snorted, and I sighed in irritation.

"Everyone up, find a partner and practice!" Snape's irritated voice silenced us; it was obvious he was just as done with this as I was.

Everyone started moving quickly, and I looked up and saw Malfoy staring right at me from across the room, a devilish smirk on his face. My eyes widened, and as I glanced to the side, I saw Madi and Blaise had already started dancing together and quickly raced over to Theodore, shooting Daphne a quick apologetic look as I did so. I would not put it past Malfoy to grab me again just to piss me off.

"Real mature," Theo rolled his eyes as we started dancing, and I gave him a slight glare in warning. I glanced over his shoulder and saw Gorgia had managed to accost Malfoy, and she was glaring at me triumphantly like I was supposed to care. Malfoy didn't look too bothered to be dancing with her, just looking a bit bored as they twirled around the room.

"Sorry if you wanted to dance with Greengrass," I said to Theo, who jumped slightly in surprise at my words.

"Why would you think that?" he said quickly, avoiding my eyes.

I snorted quietly, not even surprised at this point of how adamantly the two of them continued to deny their feelings for each other. I sought out Daphne, who I saw was dancing quite well with Graham Montague, our Quidditch captain, not looking too disappointed with her choice. I subtly glanced at Theodore to see if he'd noticed, hiding my smile when I saw he had his jaw clenched and was pointedly staring in the other direction.

"Parkinson is trying to murder you with her eyes," Theo muttered in amusement suddenly, drawing my attention to where he was looking, seeing that Pansy was in fact glaring at me viciously as she danced past with Marcus Flint.

I rolled my eyes, "What's new?" She was probably just as pissed at me for being forced to dance with Malfoy as Gorgia was.

"You have a real talent for pissing people off, you know?" he continued drily.

"It wasn't even my fault this time," I whined, turning to look accusingly at the front where Snape was standing.

He smirked, "Must be your natural personality then."

"Just shut up and dance, Nott."

He laughed again quietly, before we fell into a comfortable silence until the dance lesson was finally over, much to Professor Snape's relief.

"Ugh, I think I need at least ten showers to forget that Goyle ever touched me," Tracey complained as we walked out of the room, brushing at her robes like it would rid them of whatever germs he'd left behind.

"He ran for you so fast; I didn't even know he could move that quickly…" Blaise shook his head in disbelief.

"Who knew Goyle had a secret crush on Davis?" Madi mused, all of us nodding in agreement. I didn't even think Goyle knew what emotions were, let alone had a crush on someone.

"Maybe he confused her for a turkey leg?" Malfoy piped up, smirking at Tracey innocently, who shot him an unimpressed look in return.

"I don't know why we're bothering to discuss Goyle's sudden realisation of human emotion when the best occurrence of that class was Malfoy and Black's demonstration," Blaise grinned, ignoring the menacing look I was giving him.

Everyone collapsed into laughter, the unimpressed looks on mine and Malfoy's faces only making them laugh more.

"You're all-"

"Traitors?" Daphne finished for me, smiling innocently. Before I could retort, the Gryffindors started pouring out of their own dance lesson, and I spotted Harry and Hermione walking out, followed by Ron who was being flanked by Fred and George, the younger Weasley's face bright red.

"Watch out Malfoy," Nott grinned, "Better get out of here before Weasley kicks your ass."

I glared at Theodore as Malfoy rolled his eyes, not looking too worried.

"He can try, I'll have him on his ass before he can even pull out his mangy second-hand wand," he drawled.

"Stop it," I hissed, shoving him lightly before I walked off, ignoring my friend's laughter and jeers as I went.

"Hey!" Fred said, grinning like a mad man when I reached them, "You missed the absolute best thing to ever happen."

"Please don't," Ron moaned, looking like he could be physically ill at any moment.

"Guess who demonstrated for the house with McGonagall?" George winked, and I immediately burst out laughing as well.

"Oh, Ronnikins! Are you going to ask her to be your date to the ball?" I said, batting my eyes at him.

Fred and George howled with laughter, even Harry and Hermione couldn't stop themselves from laughing as Ron glared at all of us.

"Oh, sod off you jerks!"

"So, tell us," George turned to me once we'd calmed down, "Who were Snape's unfortunate victims out of your lot?"

"Uh…" I frowned, my eyes flickering to Fred nervously for a moment, him looking back at me in slight confusion as to why I looked so nervous.

"Funny that," I sighed finally, "He made me and Malfoy do it."

"You danced with Malfoy?!" Harry exclaimed, all of them looking at me in absolute horror. I looked nervously at Fred, who was now gazing down the hallway in the direction I'd come from, and I followed his gaze to see my friends were still there, and he was staring right at Malfoy.

"I didn't choose it, alright?" I snapped, grabbing Fred's arm and pulling his attention back to me before they noticed him looking. "Davis made me laugh so Snape called me out, and then punished me by making me dance with him."

"I'd be careful Fred," Ron said, eyes wide, "She's probably got diseases now…"

"Don't start with me Ronald, let's not forget who you just danced with," I warned, and he immediately turned red again and shut up.

"I can't believe that git touched you," Harry was glaring down the hallway now, and I let out an irritated sigh.

"Can we just drop it? I'm already going to hear enough about it from them," I nodded my head down the hall, before looking between the five Gryffindors pleadingly.

"Come on guys," Hermione, thankfully, came to my rescue, "She's right, it's not like it was her idea."

"Right," Ron agreed, "Like you'd ever let that tosser anywhere near you unless you didn't have a choice,"

I frowned, for some reason Ron's statement bothered me a little. I risked another look at Fred, who was still looking unimpressed, and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He looked down at me, forcing a smile on his face, but I could tell he still didn't exactly love the idea that I'd just been waltzing with Draco Malfoy.

I hadn't even approached the subject of me and Malfoy possibly not being enemies with my Gryffindor friends yet, mostly because this was exactly how I knew they'd react.

"We've been alright this year," I said carefully, "He's been a little bit less of a git than usual."

"You're joking right?" George asked bluntly, exchanging a wide-eyed look with his twin.

"He's still a git," I said quickly, "He's just definitely been worse…"

My friends still didn't look convinced, looking at me like I'd lost the plot, and maybe I had. I sighed, glancing down the hall again before looking back.

"I better go, they're waiting for me so we can go to History of Magic," I said, smiling up at Fred, who still looked a little put out about the whole situation, "I'll see you guys in magical creatures?" I turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who nodded, before I gave Fred a quick kiss on the cheek and headed back towards my Slytherin friends.

"Did you tell him?" Madi asked casually as we all started walking, her and Daphne on either side of me. I stayed silent for a moment, making sure the rest of them in front of us hadn't heard her question. The last thing I wanted was another group discussion.

"Yes."

"And?" Daphne raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"He was thrilled, what do you think?" I snapped.

"Blaise thinks he spoke out on purpose," Madi smiled knowingly, "So he could dance with you."

I snorted, "Well Zabini is delusional, and so are you if you believe that."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Denial is not your colour, sweetie."

"Well it's not yours either, Greengrass. Acting like dancing with Montague was so amazing when we all know who you really wanted to dance with," I snarled before I could stop myself, Madi's eyes widening a little in shock at my words.

Daphne blinked in surprise, before she straightened up and stuck her nose in the air, "Well, I couldn't very much dance with him anyway, could I?" she snapped, looking at me accusingly before she sped up to walk next to Lillian.

I let out an irritated sigh, ignoring the disappointed glare Madi gave me. It would take a little while to recover with her from that one. But I hadn't been able to help myself, I was starting to get sick of everyone telling me how I should be feeling, or who I should be able to spend my time with. How the hell did they know if I didn't even know myself sometimes?

* * *

I got back to the Common Room late that night, I'd managed to get myself detention with McGonagall for trying to hex Marietta Edgecombe for having a go at Harry after magical creatures. Unfortunately, the Transfiguration professor had not found it as funny as me when I dropped a pumpkin on the Ravenclaw's head. I wasn't too bothered; the bitch had deserved it.

I shook my hand out as I stepped through the portrait, it was practically numb from all the lines I'd just written.

"Ah, the pumpkin killer returns," I looked up and saw Blaise grinning at me from where he and Malfoy were sitting on the couch. The Common Room was practically empty apart from the two of them and a couple of seventh years who looked like they were cramming in the corner.

"Hope you're pleased with yourself," Malfoy frowned as I settled in the armchair nearby, "Losing us so many points for no reason."

"I had a reason," I snapped, making sure to glare at him fiercely so he knew I was still pissed off with him from earlier. "Edgecombe is an outspoken prat who needed to be taught a lesson."

"You have to admit she has been quite tame so far this year," Blaise smirked, looking at Malfoy, "Too busy snogging in corridors to cause any mischief."

Malfoy grimaced in disgust, and I rolled my eyes, throwing a pillow from the chair at Blaise who dodged it easily with a laugh.

"Make sure to keep your tongue to yourself at the ball, yeah?" the dark-haired boy continued with a smirk, "I'd like to be able to enjoy my night."

"I'm so sick of talking about this bloody ball," I moaned, letting my head fall back on the chair. It seemed all the girls could talk about lately was whose gown was going to be the nicest, who was going with who, and what drama would go down on the night. I was glad I'd gotten my robes organised quite quickly and that Fred wasn't really making a massive deal out of the whole night. I was excited, but I had far more important things to worry about than who had the most expensive robes in the year. Like how Harry was being completely slack on working out his egg for the next task.

"You're telling me," Malfoy muttered, an irritated frown on his face.

Blaise scoffed, "You only have yourself to blame for your problems. If you'd just hurry up and pick between Parkinson and Avery, they'd leave you alone."

I let out a giggle, watching the two girl's trip over themselves trying to get Malfoy to ask them had been endlessly entertaining the last few days. Parkinson had been cocky at the start, saying her robes would guarantee him taking her, but Gorgia was never one to give up without a fight. It had been refreshing for me; they had both been so busy attacking each other I'd had quite a peaceful week so far.

"Please," I rolled my eyes, "He doesn't want to choose because then they'd stop waiting on him hand and foot."

Malfoy winked, "Don't they always, anyway?"

"You're disgusting."

"To be honest, I don't think Parkinson will be all that bothered if you don't choose her," Blaise stated.

Malfoy and I both looked at him incredulously, "Are you taking the piss?" I asked, I was already picturing Pansy setting the dorm on fire if he didn't pick her.

"I heard a little rumour she's got her eye on someone else," Blaise said nonchalantly, looking over at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Didn't you wonder why she was glaring daggers at you all dance lesson?"

I snorted, "No, that was nothing new. I figured she was pissed off for the same reason Avery was."

Malfoy got it first, his eyes widening in shock and a smirk forming on his lips, "Parkinson has her eye on Nott?"

My mouth dropped open, "Since when?" I demanded.

Blaise shrugged, "She told Moon in Ancient Runes, I guess she's sick of sharing Malfoy with Avery all the time. It's not like Theodore isn't notable in high society, why wouldn't she set her sights on him instead?"

I frowned slightly; he was right, it wasn't like it didn't make sense. But what about Daphne? Surely Theodore would get over himself and just ask her, it was obvious they wanted to go together.

"Huh," Malfoy mused, "Makes my life a hell of a lot easier, I'll take Gorgia and Nott can have Pansy."

"No," I snapped, Malfoy looking at me with raised eyebrows, "What about Daphne?'

He snorted, "What about her? Nott is nowhere near close to ever admitting _those_ feelings. I won't be at all surprised if he decides to go with Parkinson once he hears she's interested just to avoid it."

Blaise nodded in agreement, and I crossed my arms angrily.

"That's stupid," I growled, "He's just taking the safe option to avoid feeling anything remotely real."

Malfoy scoffed, "You would know all about that."

Blaise's eyes widened, and he looked at him warningly while my mouth dropped open in shock.

"What the hell does that mean, Malfoy?" I demanded.

Malfoy stood, rolling his eyes, "Nothing," he drawled, before he headed off towards the dorms without another word.

I turned to Blaise, "What the fuck is his problem?"

Blaise rolled his eyes, "He's just trying to rile you up, ignore him."

I let out a 'hmph' in agreement, glaring over at where the blonde had left.

* * *

By the time we'd reached the last week of term all anyone could talk about was the Yule Ball the following week. Malfoy had gone ahead and finally asked Gorgia to be his date, which she threw in everyone's face any chance she could. Unfortunately, ever since she barely left his side which means I saw her way too often for my liking. As soon as Malfoy had chosen her, Parkinson had done what exactly Blaise had predicted and gotten Theodore to ask her. Poor Daphne had been acting like it didn't bother her, but I knew deep down she was disappointed. She had recovered quite quickly however when Montague ended up asking her to be his date, and it had been very satisfying to see Theodore trying to hide his disdain when he'd found out.

Most of our classes at this point were just combined study halls to get our last few assignments out of the way before break. It was strange to think we wouldn't be going home, but I was comforted by the fact that my dad and the others would be attending the ball, which I'd confirmed in a letter home a week ago.

The Christmas decorations this year were on a whole other level too, I presumed to show off as much as possible to the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. The usual twelve trees in the Great Hall were decked with everything from luminous berries, to hooting owls made of gold, and all the suits of armor sang carols whenever you passed them. It only made everyone that much more excited for Christmas night.

I raced into study hall on Friday afternoon, plonking down next to Fred and trying to catch my breath. I saw Snape looking at me disapprovingly for being late to his study hall and disrupting the quiet, but he didn't push it any further, continuing to patrol up and down the tables.

"Sorry," I breathed, giving Fred a quick kiss as I started pulling all my books out, "I had to go and change after Herbology, because someone," I turned slightly to look accusingly at Blaise's back, where he happened to be sitting behind us, "Decided to explode pus all over me."

Blaise looked over his shoulder with a grin, "Draco dared me."

"Real mature," I muttered, shooting the mentioned a small glare where he was sitting across from Blaise, before turning back to my table.

"You didn't miss much," Fred commented, "Just Ron and Harry realising they're going to die alone."

I looked at them in shock, "Do you two still not have dates?"

"It's not as easy as you'd think," Ron frowned, turning in his seat to look around, "At this rate, we're gonna be the only ones in our year without 'em." I hid my laugh as Snape walked past at that moment and roughly turned his head back to face the work in front of him. I took that as a good enough reason to start work on my own book, still listening to the two boys as I worked on my six inches worth of lines on antidotes as the front page had instructed.

Ron waited until Snape had kept walking before he continued, "Well, us and Neville," he chuckled. I looked between Fred and George subtly, who were looking down at their work but obviously also listening given the amused smiles on their faces.

"Yeah, but he can just take himself," Harry joked back at Ron.

Hermione chose that moment to speak up, leaning over Ron, "Might interest you to know, Neville's already got someone," she said in a hushed tone, before glancing towards where Snape was still walking and looking hurriedly back at her book.

The grins dropped from the two boy's faces, and Ron looked absolutely horrified, "Oh no, now I'm really depressed."

Fred and George exchanged a look, before Fred scrawled on a piece of parchment and shoved it towards his younger brother. I tried to hide my smile, shaking my head.

" _Get a move on or all the good ones will be gone_ ," Ron read out quietly, watching Snape warily over his shoulder before he turned back to the twins with a glare, "Bloody easy for you to say, you've got a girlfriend!"

Fred shrugged, exchanging a quick grin with me before smiling back at Ron tauntingly. George was shaking trying to control his laughter, the three of us were very aware of Professor Snape hovering around just waiting for a chance to catch Ron and Harry talking.

"Who are you going with then?" Ron turned to George accusingly, throwing the note back at him angrily. George craned his neck over the top of my head before his face split into a grin, and he tossed the crumpled-up note at Alicia Spinnet, who turned to him with an irritated look on her face.

I had to rest my forehead on Fred's arm to hide my laughter as George dramatically acted out his dance proposal to Alicia, who blushed and gave him a small nod with a smile once he was finished. George turned back to Ron, shooting him an exaggerated wink in triumph.

"I blame you Cass," Harry grumbled, and I raised an eyebrow, "I have to open this bloody ball, and if you hadn't decided to get a boyfriend I could have just taken you!"

I let out a scoff, "Gee, thanks Harry. That's the proposal every girl dreams of," I replied drily.

"Back off Potter," Fred warned teasingly, and Harry rolled his eyes at us, going back to glaring at his book like it would help him find a date.

"Wait… Hermione, you're a girl," Ron said, like he'd only just come to that realisation.

Hermione paused, "Well spotted," she responded icily.

I grinned as the next moment Ron and Harry both received whacks to the back of the head from Snape as he walked past again, the two of them glaring after him until he was out of earshot.

"It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone, but for a girl it's just sad," Ron shook his head, and I saw even Harry's eyes widen at the redhead's words.

"Oi," my attention was drawn away by a piece of paper hitting me in the back of the head, and I turned around to glare at whoever it was, my eyes narrowing when I saw Malfoy smirking at me.

"What?" I hissed.

"The notes on murtlap essence from Tuesday," he replied, raising his eyebrows expectantly. I rolled my eyes, rifling through my book before nudging Blaise's shoulder and handing it to him, who tossed it across the table to the blonde. The three of us had worked on it together last lesson, so it was only fair to hand it over.

"For your eyes only," I whispered harshly to him, looking accusingly at Crabbe and Goyle, who were sitting on his left trying to act like they weren't listening.

He held up his hands in mock surrender, smirking at me. I turned back around, blinking in surprise when as I did so Hermione got up in a huff and promptly handed her book to Snape before storming out.

Fred and George were looking at Ron, shaking their heads incredulously and Ron was looking at Harry like she'd grown an extra head.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, then paused, "She's lying right?"

Ah, Ron hadn't known that Hermione had already been asked to the ball. She'd only told me a few days ago, and still hadn't even told me who it was. I knew she wasn't really going around advertising it, which I thought was fair enough, it was no one else's business but hers and her dates.

"If you say so," Harry rolled his eyes, turning back to his work.

"Look," Ron continued, "We've just got to grit our teeth and do it."

I covered my mouth with my hand as I made eye contact with our potions professor as he came to a stop behind the two of them once more, making a show of rolling up his sleeves with a look of pure annoyance on his face.

"Tonight, when we get back to the Common Room, we'll both have partners!"

"Agreed," Harry nodded.

I collapsed into giggles as they both let out loud grunts of pain as Snape shoved their heads as roughly as he could down into their books.

"I love study hall," I remarked to Fred, who was watching with an amused smile.

"Oi!"

I let out another irritated sigh as yet another piece of paper hit the back of my head, and turned to glare at Malfoy once again. Fred had apparently also had enough of the blonde because he turned to glare at him viciously as well.

"She has a name, you know?" he hissed, his eyes flashing.

Malfoy looked a little surprised, but covered it quickly with a sneer, "I don't remember asking for your input, Weasley."

I shushed Fred, who clenched his jaw but stopped himself from firing back. I glared at Malfoy, warning him not to start anything. He stared back at me for a moment, before rolling his eyes and flicking the notes I'd given him before back across the table, where I grabbed them from an irritated Blaise.

Malfoy looked between me and Fred for a moment, before smirking, "Be sure to save me a dance next week, Black."

Fred let out a low growl, and I felt George tense up on my other side, my eyes widening as Malfoy's smirk only grew more smug at their reaction.

"Don't," I hissed out, pulling Fred back around before he could ark up, "He wants a reaction out of you, don't give him one."

"I don't know how you stand living with that git," George said lowly, glaring slightly over his shoulder.

"It's always easier to just ignore him," I sighed, giving them both reassuring smiles to try and calm them down.

"Why do you keep defending him all the time?" Fred muttered in irritation, and I looked at him in confusion.

"I don't."

He rolled his eyes, "Every time we say something bad about him this year you find some excuse for him."

"It just isn't worth it to stoop to his level," I defended, "That's what he wants, and you're better than him," I said softly, pushing some hair back off his face.

Fred sighed, before smiling softly, "You're right."

I shrugged, "As usual."

He rolled his eyes with a grin, before he closed his book, "Do you want us to wait?" he asked, gesturing to him and George.

I shook my head, "No, I've got these two miserable idiots to keep me company," I looked towards Harry and Ron, who glared at me in response.

Fred nodded, kissing my cheek before he and George headed out of the Hall. I continued with my work in silence, neither Harry nor Ron seemed to be daring to talk after Snape's last discipline. It wasn't long before I finished, not even surprised that I'd beaten the other two, they probably had no idea what they were even writing about.

I handed my work into Snape and then headed out of the Hall back towards the Common Room. I was lost in thought, trying to brainstorm good present ideas for all my friends for Christmas when I suddenly heard my name being whispered angrily from somewhere. I stopped, stepping back a little so I was shielded behind a pillar and peaked around it, my eyebrows raising when I saw Malfoy and Gorgia just down the corridor in the middle of what looked like an argument.

"You're being absolutely delusional," Malfoy was saying, rolling his eyes.

"Am I?" Gorgia hissed in response, her eyes blazing. I was a little surprised, it wasn't often you'd see Gorgia going off at Malfoy, she was too worried about pissing him off too much and having him drop her. But ever since he'd asked her to the Yule Ball, she had become a lot more possessive, probably also because she'd managed to get rid of Pansy and now felt like she finally had him all to herself.

"Yes," he snapped, "I only ever associate with Black when I need to, you know that."

My eyes widened, oh my god…were they arguing about me?

"Bullshit," she spat back, "I don't know why you ever have to talk to her at all, and yet somehow you always manage to find a reason to!"

"Your jealousy of her is starting to become boring."

"I am not jealous of that little blood-traitor skank!"

Malfoy stepped towards her, his eyes narrowed, "She is not a skank, Avery."

My heart was pounding in my chest, so many different thoughts all racing through my head. Why was Malfoy defending me so much?

Gorgia scoffed, "There you go again, protecting her. I think you'd do well to remember who you are, and who she is."

"You do not have any right to lecture me about anything, do you understand?" he said, his voice dangerously low. I could practically feel the anger radiating off him from here, there weren't many people who got away with trying to control Malfoy.

"And you're wrong, about all of it," he continued, "So stop being crazy before I change my mind about taking you to this bloody ball."

I watched in quiet shock as he stormed off to the Common Room, Gorgia staring after him furiously. I was just about to walk away, when she happened to turn in my direction, her eyes flashing when she spotted me.

"Enjoy the show?" she hissed out, storming towards me angrily.

I stepped out from around the pillar, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Didn't mean to look in on your little lovers spat, Avery. Sorry."

I knew it probably wasn't wise to provoke her when she was already furious, but I wasn't going to let her think I was scared of her either.

"I warned you," she said, eyes blazing with anger, "To watch yourself or you could find yourself in trouble,"

I rolled my eyes, "I fail to see what I've done here,"

"Oh, stop it with your bullshit innocent act," Gorgia snapped, stepping closer to me, "I do not let people get away with trying to take what's mine."

My eyes widened, "You really are delusional, Avery. I want nothing to do with Malfoy, you can have him!"

"Well obviously he wants something to do with you," she seethed.

I let out an irritated sigh, over this whole conversation, "Look Avery, you not being smart enough to realise he doesn't give a shit about you unless it benefits him is not my problem." I shoved past her, "So don't try and make it, deal with your own shit."

"Ugh!" she let out a frustrated scream, grabbing hold of my arm and whirling me back around to face her, "Listen to me, blood-traitor," my eyes narrowed at the insult, staring her down, "This is your last warning. Stay away from Draco and stay out of my way."

I yanked my arm away roughly, "Aren't you getting a little bored of constantly trying to scare me and failing?" I hissed.

"I am so sick of everyone thinking you're so brilliant, do you think if they knew who you really were they'd be so quick to defend you?" she mocked, and my eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You have no idea who I am Avery. And did you ever wonder if maybe everyone likes me so much because I am exactly who I say I am? Unlike you, who has so many different faces we should study you in Care of Magical Creatures."

I stepped closer, getting right in her face and plastering a sweet smile on my face, "I've told you before you don't scare me, and you never will." She was practically shaking with anger, glowering at me furiously as I stepped back, a satisfied smirk on my face.

"And because of that, you will never beat me."

Her face twisted into the angriest I'd ever seen her, and I took another small step back as she whipped out her wand.

"You should be scared of me, Black,"

"Don't do something stupid," I sneered, trying to ignore my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

She didn't move, her wand hovering in her hand as she stared me down. But I could see her eyes flickering in doubt and couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped my lips.

"Maybe this is why Malfoy likes me and not you, at least I'm not too weak to follow through on my threats."

Her bottom lip curled into a snarl and she snapped, leaping for me viciously. A surprised gasp fell from my lips and before I knew what was happening, she had grabbed the silver chain on my neck and yanked.

All the air felt like it was leaving my lungs as I watched her step back, a cruel smile on her face as she held my necklace in her hand.

"Okay," I breathed out, my eyes wide, trying my best not to show her how terrified I was that she was holding the last thing I had left of my mother in her hand. "You made your point, Avery. You know how to follow through."

She didn't move, her eyes moving from her hand back to me, a cruelly satisfied smirk on her face. I slowly held out my hand, not breaking eye contact with her.

"Give it back."

My blood ran cold as her smirk only grew, watching as she held the necklace up and pointed her wand to it.

"No!" I scrambled to get my own wand out of my robes, but she was too quick.

" _Expelliarmus_!" It wasn't strong, but it was enough to make me stumble backwards and drop my wand in the process.

" _Incendio_!"

"NO!"

I launched myself forward, tears forming in my eyes as I watched my necklace get hit by the flame that shot out of her wand. She threw it to the ground, and I fell to my knees, staring in horror at the charred mess where my necklace should be. I felt like I was dying, my breaths were coming short and sharp and my vision was blurring as more tears came, starting to pour down my cheeks. But I couldn't look away, I just kept staring at it like the longer I looked the less real it would be.

Gorgia bent down in front of me, "I warned you," she hissed, before she turned and stalked away.

The first sob wrecked my body, and my hand came up over my mouth as I sat there in shock. I pulled my knees up to my chest and let my head fall onto them, just letting the tears come. I didn't care that I was in the middle of the halls and anyone could find me like this, I didn't care about anything other than the fact my necklace was gone.

I had nothing left of my mother.

* * *

I don't know how long it was before I moved from the corridor. Somehow, I managed to gather up all the ashes of my necklace and make my way to the dorms, where I'd gotten into bed and hadn't moved since. I felt like I was in a dream, like it couldn't possibly be real.

I knew Gorgia wouldn't be able to resist bragging about what she'd done, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole house knew what had happened by now. I wondered how long it will take for my friends to come looking for me.

It was dark when I finally heard the door to the dorm open, and then a relieved gasp.

"Guys! She's in here!" Madi yelled out, before she raced over, and I felt the bed dip as she sat down next to me.

"Holy shit Cass," she breathed out, her eyes searching my face worriedly, "We've been looking for you since dinner…"

I heard more footsteps, and then the bed dip again as Tracey sat next to Madi, Daphne and Lillian crouching on the floor in front of me. I barely even registered any of them were there, I just continued to stare straight ahead.

"Why didn't you come to us? We had no idea what had happened until Gorgia started bragging at dinner," Daphne said in a hushed tone, looking horrified.

"What would have been the point?" I mumbled, "There was nothing you could have done."

I heard heavier footsteps, and then Theodore and Blaise appeared over Lillian and Daphne's shoulders.

"What the hell happened?" Blaise asked lowly, the anger clear in his tone.

"Didn't Avery tell you?" I muttered, "I thought she'd be bragging to everyone."

"Yeah, like she's going to tell the full story," Tracey scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"She was just going on about finally teaching you a lesson, she only told us how after I asked her straight up," Daphne explained quietly.

"Why did she do it?" Madi asked hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter," I said hoarsely, not keen on reliving what had happened, "I pushed her too far, like you all always said I would. And she retaliated."

"I could kill her," Blaise hissed out, and Madi looked over at him, her hazel eyes blazing in warning.

"I swear Black," Lillian said as well, her tone icy, "I will get her for this, you just say the word."

I let out a frustrated cry, sitting up and looking at all of them in exasperation, "Don't you understand!?" I cried, feeling the tears starting to prick at my eyes again, "It doesn't matter if you want to get revenge, or make her pay. There's no point, it won't fix it."

They all fell silent, looking at me in slight shock from my sudden outburst.

"Nothing will bring it back," I said, a tear rolling down my cheek, "That was all I had left of her, and now it's gone. And there is nothing anyone can do to change that, _so what's the point_?"

I flopped back down onto my pillow, silently willing my tears to stop. I didn't want my friends to think I was weak.

"You have to at least report it to Snape-" Daphne tried to reason.

"No," I snapped firmly, cutting her off, "That's what she wants. And I will not give her the satisfaction."

"So what?" Theo scoffed angrily, "She just gets away with it?"

"No," I said dangerously, "No… I'll get her back. But not until I figure out how to give her what she deserves,"

I saw some of them exchange worried looks, and Madi tried to put a comforting hand on my arm but I pulled away.

"If you guys don't mind," I said lowly, "I'd really just rather be alone right now."

"Of course," Daphne whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to my forehead before they all left the room quietly, the door shutting behind them and bathing me in darkness once again.

I lay there for what felt like hours, I couldn't bring myself to move, but I also couldn't fall asleep. I just laid there, wondering how I was ever going to tell my dad what had happened. I hadn't been wrong in what I told my friends, it was my own fault. I had been naïve to think I could keep pushing her without her retaliating, maybe this had been what I'd deserved.

At some point I heard the door open again; I didn't even look up, just expecting it to be the girls coming back to the dorm.

"Miss Black."

I sat up, eyes wide as I turned to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway, staring at me a little warily.

"Sir?" I questioned, blinking in surprise, before narrowing my eyes suspiciously, "Did Greengrass send you?"

He sighed, waving his hand so the lights in the dorm flickered on, and I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light.

"No, she did not."

I frowned in confusion, "Then what are you doing here, professor?"

He studied me for a moment silently, and I tried to read his expression as best I could but as usual it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"There is a lot of talk this evening, of a piece of your property being destroyed," he said finally.

I looked away, rubbing my arm, "It's not a big deal."

"Not from what I've heard," Snape responded with a frown, "Miss Black, if there is someone who needs to be punished then you need to tell me-"

"No!" I cut him off, my eyes wide, and he looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"I won't play into her hands like that," I said quietly, seeing his eyebrow quirk when I said 'her'. "I promise sir, I'm fine."

Snape still looked unconvinced, his eyes sweeping up and down me briefly, "Are you certain?"

I nodded, silently pleading with him to let me handle this one on my own. He continued to frown at me, a look of almost concern on his face before he finally nodded, "Very well."

I let out a sigh of relief, giving him a small, grateful smile. He gave me one more curt nod before he headed for the door, before pausing and looking back at me.

"Don't do anything too drastic, Miss Black," he warned, "I would hate to have to punish you."

I gave him a slight nod, understanding what he was saying before watching as he finally exited the dorm. I was slightly confused, had he really come all the way down here just to check about a rumour? One of my friends must have gone to him, otherwise I'm certain he wouldn't have come. I let out a shaky breath, my hand instinctively moving to my chest and my heart lurching when I felt that it was bare.

If there was one thing I did know for sure, it was that whatever had happened between me and Gorgia Avery was nowhere near over.


	8. The Yule Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we go, the Yule Ball! This chapter is a looong one, and an eventful one - so strap yourselves in!

Almost like Christmas magic, by the time we reached Christmas Eve it had been snowing already for three days and the entire castle grounds were coated in fluffy white powder. It made everything seem all the more beautiful, and even despite everything that had happened last week, I was actually excited for Christmas and the ball.

I never really went into detail with anyone about what happened with Gorgia, I said we had a disagreement and I pushed her too far and left it at that. Madi and Blaise had been pushing me for more, but I just wanted to try and move on and forget it happened. The Gryffindors had been livid, I'd had to stop Harry from going straight to Dumbledore. I knew he was just trying to help; he knew how much that necklace meant to me but I'd managed to talk him out of it. Besides there was no actual proof she had done it, and I was perfectly capable of handling her on my own, and that was the way I wanted it. This was my fight, and I would be the one to fight it.

Malfoy and I had been avoiding each other as much as possible all week. It was a lot easier since classes had ended, and because I was spending a lot more time with my Gryffindor friends than my Slytherin ones since everything had happened. I had no clue if he knew why Gorgia had done what she did, but they'd practically been attached to each other all week. I'd managed to avoid her for the most part – choosing to eat with the Gryffindors and staying away from her during classes. She probably thought that she'd won – that she'd broken me. But I was just biding my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get her back.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, looking over at me as we walked towards Dumbledore's office. Our dads were due to arrive tonight for the ball, so we were having a little Christmas Eve celebration together.

I hadn't told my father what had happened yet, it didn't feel like something I could put in a letter. I had no idea how I was going to tell him, it felt like I not only let mum down, but him too.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I have no idea how I'm going to tell him."

"It wasn't your fault," Harry responded strongly, "And he'll know that," he let out a frustrated sigh, "I still think you should have reported her."

I shook my head, "No, this is one I need to deal with on my own. Getting professor's involved is giving her exactly what she wants."

"You stupid Slytherins and your pride," Harry muttered, and I shot him a playful glare.

The Headmasters office was open when we arrived, and as we started the climb up the stairs my stomach was flipping nervously.

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered, craning my neck to look at Harry above me, "Who did you end up asking to the ball last week?"

Harry gave a little shrug, "Ron and I are taking the Patil twins."

I snorted, "Oh, lovely."

"They aren't that bad," Harry defended, looking down at me with a small frown, "Besides it's not like I had many options left!"

"That was your own fault," I pointed out, "Which one did you get then?"

"Parvati."

He stopped at the top of the stairs to let me catch up, "I can deal with that, Padma's definitely the worst of the two," I sighed.

Harry rolled his eyes, opening the door to the office, "I'll be sure to warn Ron."

"I honestly might feel worse for Padma, we've both seen Ron's dress robes."

We were both still laughing when we finally walked into Dumbledore's office, Ron's hideous dress robes vivid in our minds. We looked around, noting the office was currently vacant. I started wandering around, looking at all the interesting things the headmaster always seemed to have in his office while Harry flopped into one of the chairs at the desk.

"Did you ask anyone else?" I questioned, running my hand over the old books on one of the shelves.

Harry coughed, "I asked Cho…"

I whirled around to face him, "You wanted to go with Cho Chang?!" I asked in horror, "Salazars spit Harry I thought the Patil twins were bad enough!"

"Yeah well she's already going with Diggory anyway, so it doesn't matter," he muttered bitterly, glaring at the floor.

"Ugh," I wrinkled up my nose in disgust, "Diggory could have any girl in this school right now and he chooses Chang? I don't get it."

"Do you just hate all Ravenclaws?" Harry asked, his lips quirking up into a smile at my dramatics.

"They just think they're better than everyone else," I rolled my eyes, "Especially Chang and her little groupies,"

"Is that why you dropped the pumpkin on Marietta Edgecombe, then?"

"I did that for you, you ungrateful prat!" I threw a piece of blank parchment at him angrily, but he dodged it, his mouth dropping open.

"You can't throw things in here!"

I smirked, "I just did."

Harry's eyes gleamed mischievously, and I let out a shriek as he leaped up and ran towards me. It never took him long to catch me, he was that much taller than me that one of his steps was pretty much two of mine. He grabbed me in a headlock immediately, ignoring me yelling at him in protest as he started tickling me. I hit him repeatedly on the leg through my laughter, barely having enough air left to breathe. I hated every minute of it, but this was the most I'd laughed all week, so I found myself not caring as much as I usually would.

"Oi! You heathens, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry and I both froze, standing up and seeing my dad, James and Dumbledore all staring at us in amusement.

"She started it," Harry replied to his dad automatically, and I turned to him, offended.

"Lies, Potter!"

"You threw the parchment!" he playfully shoved me a little again.

"I really thought they'd grow out of the wrestling," my dad shook his head, looking at James in mock disappointment.

"We only have ourselves to blame," James responded, "All those tournaments we held when they were younger…"

Harry and I exchanged a grin, fondly remembering all the photos we'd seen over the years of the two of us in various costumes, wrestling pretty much from the moment we could walk.

"Cassie is still undefeated champ though," my dad turned to me with a wink, and both Harry and James looked appalled.

"Lies! I demand a recount"

"I'm tiny, but I'm mighty," I shrugged innocently, shoving into Harry again for good measure.

Harry was still smiling at me, his eyes shining happily, "Nice to see you smiling," he murmured quietly, and I sent him my own grateful smile in return.

"Merry Christmas then," he moved off to hug James, and I turned to look at my dad for the first time properly, the smile immediately dropping from my face.

He was still smiling, but it quickly dropped when he saw that I wasn't anymore. It was like as soon as I saw him everything came back to me, and I felt the tears starting to prick at my eyes already.

He was in front of me in seconds, "What happened?" he asked, gripping my arms gently.

I didn't respond, I couldn't, I just threw my arms around him tightly and started to cry. He hugged me back instantly, and I could only imagine how confused he must be. I felt his head turn slightly and knew he must be looking over to Harry for some sort of answer, but Harry didn't say anything.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," I cried into him, too scared to lift my head.

"Sorry for what?" he asked urgently, "Kid, what is it?"

I let out one last shaky breath, before I pulled back and looked at him. I didn't say a word, I didn't need to. He saw the look in my eyes straight away, his concern only growing as he quickly looked me up and down, and I saw his face harden when he realised.

"Who did it?" he practically growled.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

He stepped away, turning and taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down.

"What's happened?" James asked quietly, looking between the two of us.

"Her necklace, Dad," Harry replied, and James's eyes widened in shock as he realised.

"I asked you who did it, Cassie," my dad said in a low voice, staring at me intently - his eyes flashing.

"It doesn't matter," I whispered, "It was my fault."

"No it wasn't-" Harry tried to interrupt, but I shot him a warning glare that stopped him in his tracks. My dad and James both looked at Harry, then back to me.

My father's eyes travelled past me, "Did you know about this?" he demanded, and I turned to see the Headmaster had settled at his desk at some point and was watching us quietly.

"No," I said before he could respond, "I didn't report it."

"You-" my dad sputtered, "You didn't report it?" I shook my head, wincing at the utter bewilderment in his gaze.

"I was aware of what happened," Dumbledore said quietly, drawing all of our attention to him, my mouth dropping open a little in shock.

"Miss Black is correct, she never officially reported the incident to myself, or even to Professor Snape. But he became aware of it anyhow and informed me after he had spoken to Miss Black, where she told him she did not want to report it."

My dad looked back at me incredulously, "Why not?"

"Because," I wrapped my arms around myself, avoiding his eyes, "It would just make it worse, I can handle this myself."

"Couldn't you have done something, anyway?" James demanded, looking at the Headmaster with raised eyebrows.

Dumbledore shook his head, "She has not even told Professor Snape the name of the student."

"Who did it?" my dad repeated again, grabbing my shoulders and making me look at him.

"Tell them," Harry snapped, "You keep thinking you can handle her on your own and look where it got you!"

"Shut up Harry," I growled, glancing at him fiercely.

"No!" he exclaimed angrily, "I'm sick of you acting like you don't need anyone else's help!"

"I don't," I hissed, shaking my dad off and turning to my god-brother angrily, "I'm perfectly capable of handling things myself."

"That doesn't mean you have to," my dad responded, sending Harry a stern look to stand down. Harry went quiet, crossing his arms and glaring at me instead.

"Your father is right, Miss Black," Dumbledore said again, "You do not have to go through these things alone."

I frowned, biting my lip while I pondered. I wanted to be strong, I wanted to prove that I could handle things on my own. I would not give her the satisfaction of breaking me over this.

I sighed, looking into my father's eyes, "It was Gorgia Avery."

I saw his eyes widen immediately, looking back at James who looked just as horrified. I frowned a little in confusion, I had expected them to be angry, but this was a different kind of reaction. It almost looked like fear.

He turned back to Dumbledore, his eyes steeled in determination, "We need to do something."

"No!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm gently, "This is why I didn't want to report it in the first place! If I tell she wins, she wants a reaction and I won't give her the satisfaction of getting one!"

My dad looked confused, searching my face like he was trying to figure out what I was trying to achieve.

"Snape should have done more," he snapped finally, looking over at the headmaster again, "He must have known it was her!"

"He suspected as much," Dumbledore agreed, "But we have no authority to act unless the student directly reports it, or another student who was present. And unfortunately, the student who did end up informing him was not actually present for the incident."

My eyes widened, and I turned to the Headmaster in shock, "So someone did tell Professor Snape?"

He nodded, "That's why he came to you, hoping you would tell him. But when he realised you wanted to handle it on your own, he knew there was no changing your mind."

I smiled softly, my professor knew me way too well, "Who told him?" I asked.

The edges of Dumbledore's mouth quirked up, "You will have to ask your Head of House that, I think."

I rolled my eyes; I knew Snape was never going to tell me who it was.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" my dad asked softly, and I sighed, shrugging sadly.

"I didn't know what to say. I was scared you'd hate me."

His eyes widened, and he pulled me back into his chest, "Never. This was not your fault, kid. Don't ever think it was."

"It was all I had, Dad," I whispered, and I felt him let out a shaky breath before he pulled back, looking at me meaningfully.

"She's still with you, kid," he pointed to my heart, "She's always right here."

I snorted, laughing tearily, "That was ridiculously cheesy."

He laughed too, "Well, I am a dad."

We laughed together for a moment, before he looked at me seriously again.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I let out a shaky breath, before nodding, "I will be."

"You're too strong for your own good," he said fondly, and I smiled at him in return.

"I get it from you."

"That's probably where the stubbornness comes from too," James piped up, winking at me playfully. We all laughed as my dad shot his best friend a withering look.

I looked at Harry, who still didn't look like he was very happy and gave him a small sigh. He sighed, before returning it with a slight nod. He understood that this was my battle, and not his.

"Why did she do it, anyway?" my dad asked, and I sighed.

"She hasn't even told me," Harry muttered bitterly, and I shot him a glare.

"I told you the truth, I just pushed her too far and she finally retaliated."

"So, there was no specific reason?" my dad raised his eyebrows, none of them looking very convinced.

I shrugged, "Beats me."

He still didn't look satisfied, but he knew me well enough to know that's all he was going to get out of me. I had no desire to make any of them think there was any truth to her reasoning for attacking me. Not that there was, but I didn't want to even plant the idea in their heads.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" James looked between Harry and I, all of us relieved for the lighter subject.

"I'm excited for Harry to fall on his face in front of everyone," I responded, smirking at Harry, who was not amused.

"You'll be fine," James smiled at him reassuringly, but Harry still didn't look convinced.

"Do you want to practice?" a wicked smile came over James's face, and Harry's eyes widened in fear.

"No!"

I leant on my dad's arm as we both burst into laughter when James ignored his son's protest and started dramatically dancing with him around the room, Harry looking like he wanted to pitch himself off the Astronomy Tower.

"And...1, 2, 3 and Harry lift your feet!"

"I hate you."

My dad nudged me gently, pulling my attention as I looked up at him in question.

"Promise you will tell me if she does anything else to you," he said seriously.

"Dad…" I sighed, but he interrupted me.

"I know you want to handle this one on your own, but there are things you don't know, kid. Just please be careful."

I frowned, wondering what exactly he meant by things I didn't know, but gave him a small nod and then a smile when he visibly sagged in relief. I knew there was something he wasn't telling me, but just like James had said, I got my stubbornness from somewhere.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to excited squeals echoing around my dorm room. I sat up groggily, rubbing my eyes and then breaking into a grin when I saw the pile of presents on the end of my bed.

"Merry Christmas guys!" Daphne called cheerily, already hugging a beautiful silky dress she'd opened to her small frame.

I looked around the dorm with a grin, everyone's happiness was infectious. I looked to my left and made eye contact with Madi, who shot me a beaming smile back. I felt my heart soar when I saw how happy she looked; I couldn't imagine her ever being this happy when she was at home for Christmas.

I took a proper look at the pile on the end of my bed, it was decently sized as always due to our large extended family. Of course, some of the pureblood girls' in my dorm's piles were almost double the size, but I didn't care about the quantity. I already knew I was going to love everything I opened.

I started with Harry, grinning when I saw he'd gotten me a new pair of Chaser gloves for Quidditch, they were dark green with silver stitching of my initials on the top. Hermione had gotten me a book as usual, this one was on potions and their unknown uses; Ron, a joke book from Zonko's with all snake-related puns; Hagrid had sent his usual pack of sweets, Remus and James had both had the same idea, apparently my sweet tooth was very universally known. My dad bought me a new coat, it was a beautiful emerald green velvet, and I ran my hands over it with a soft smile. He had a talent for knowing exactly what I wanted without me ever asking, I'd looked at this exact coat in Diagon Alley before school had started. Mrs Weasley had sent a knitted jumper as always; it was deep purple this year with white stars embroidered down one side. Madi had gotten me a pair of green and silver stud earrings; Blaise, more Quidditch gear; Theodore had gotten me a leather journal with a snake carved into the spine; and Lillian and Tracey had gone in together on a beautiful silk nightgown (that included a risqué note about how much my boyfriend would love it).

"Has everyone opened mine?" Daphne suddenly said, looking around the dorm with sparkling eyes. Her bed was coated in wrapping paper, much like the rest of the dorms, and everyone quickly scrambled to find Daphne's signature gold wrapped box. Every year Daphne got the whole dorm the same thing, it was always beautiful; usually jewellery, or like last year, the highest quality sweater she could find.

"Daph," Lillian breathed, looking at the blonde with wide eyes.

"This is incredible," Tracey agreed.

My mouth dropped open as I finally got my own box open and pulled out a silver charm bracelet. So far it only had two charms, a 'C' for my name, and a tiny little goblet. I glanced over at Madi and saw hers was the same, except obviously hers was an 'M' charm.

"You know I always like buying everyone the same thing," Daphne explained, "So we all match with something or other, and I thought this would be a good way to do it! I'll just buy a new charm each year from now on, I should have thought of it ages ago."

I looked over at her, my eyes shining, "You have the biggest heart, Daphne Greengrass."

She brushed me off, but she couldn't hide how pleased she was with our reactions, "Don't mention it."

"Yeah, I'm never letting anyone call you an ice queen again," Madi agreed, winking at her playfully.

I glanced over at Parkinson, who was surrounded by probably the most presents in the dorm, and noticed she looked a little shocked to have gotten a bracelet. Not that Daphne ever left her out of her dorm present, she was raised right after all and that would be rude. But this gift felt more exclusive, like we were all part of something. I was surprised that I didn't even mind that Parkinson had been included, even if we were more at odds this year.

"What did your boyfriend get you then?" Madi asked, sliding in next to me.

"I was just about to open it," I replied, putting Daphne's bracelet carefully on the bedside table before reaching for my last present, which was from the twins.

I grinned when I opened it, it was full of the twin's creations, a wicked smile coming over my face when I thought of how much trouble I could cause.

"Typical," Madi rolled her eyes, but her eyes were twinkling as she peered into the box to examine the products inside, before her eyebrows raised, "There's something else in there!"

I looked back at the box in surprise, I hadn't expected anything else at all. I broke out into a happy smile when I realised what it was, pulling out the snow globe. The scene inside was of the Astronomy Tower, stars twinkling in the sky.

Madi looked at me in question, "The Astronomy Tower?"

I smiled softly, giving it a little shake and watching the snow fall down around it, "It's where we had our first kiss. Where we got together."

Madi looked a little taken aback, "Huh, that's actually kind of sweet..."

I bumped her shoulder, "Don't sound so surprised!" I laughed, Madi joining in and shoving me back lightly.

"What did Blaise get you then?"

"That silk scarf I wanted," she winked, "I may have given him a hint."

"Probably for the best," I grinned, Blaise had been subtly asking me for ideas on what to get her all month. I was glad my best friend had caught on and gracefully helped him out.

The rest of the girls had apparently finished opening their presents, now moving onto comparing and deciding who got the best loot this year. Madi leaned forward, examining the rest of my presents through the paper strewn everywhere, frowning suddenly.

"You forgot one."

I blinked in surprise, mentally going through the list in my head, I couldn't think of anyone I hadn't opened a present from. Madi handed me a small box, it was wrapped in shiny black paper with no note attached.

"Oooh, Black's got a mystery present!" Lillian said, coming to sit on my other side with interest.

I turned it over in my hand, it wasn't heavy, so I cautiously started unwrapping it as the other girls all gathered around my bed.

We all let out a collective gasp when I opened it.

"Holy shit," Lillian breathed next to me, her eyes wide.

Nestled in black tissue paper was a silver necklace, much like my mother's one. It had the same cursive 'C' on the end of the chain, except this one had a snake curling around the shape of it, complete with two emerald gems for the eyes. It was absolutely beautiful.

"It's so…" Daphne trailed off, seemingly lost for words.

"Cassie." Madi finished.

I looked between my dorm mates; everyone's faces as full of wonder as mine was.

"It's perfect," I breathed, running a finger along the curve of the letter.

"Who sent it?" Tracey asked curiously, rifling through some of the wrapping paper on the bed.

"There was no card," Madi shook her head, "It was so tiny it almost got lost in all the wrappings."

"Do you know who might have?" Lillian asked curiously, resting her chin on my shoulder to look at it more closely.

I shook my head, still a little shocked.

"Maybe it was your father?" Daphne guessed, "You only told him last night, maybe he had to get it together quickly, that's why there's no note?"

Parkinson peered over Tracey's shoulder, "Would your father have this good a taste?"

I rolled my eyes slightly, but she probably wasn't wrong, it didn't seem like something my dad would buy.

"Well, whoever bought obviously knows you pretty well," Madi said, the rest of the girls nodding in agreement.

Seemingly bored now, the rest of the girls moved off to start getting dressed to head down to breakfast. I got up too, putting Madi's earrings into my ears and fastening my new charm bracelet to my wrist after I got dressed. I picked up the necklace again, still in awe of how beautiful it really was. It was obviously expensive, so sadly I knew it couldn't have been Fred who bought it. I looked at it for a few more moments, before sighing and putting it around my neck and securing the clasp.

My hand immediately came up to rest over it on my chest, and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I had felt like there was a part of me missing for the last week and having something back around my neck was a comfort I hadn't realised I'd needed.

"Someone's been blinged up this year," Tracey grinned as we headed out the door, noting all my new jewellery.

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend, remember?" Daphne winked, and we all laughed.

Blaise and Theodore were waiting down in the Common Room, and I had to stop myself from turning back around when I noticed Malfoy was with them as well. I quickly glanced around and breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Gorgia was nowhere in sight. That was the last thing I needed right now.

Blaise gave Madi a soft kiss when we reached them, before pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head as well.

"Quidditch gear was perfect, thank you," I said as he pulled back, and he shot me a wink in return. He immediately noticed the new necklace around my neck, his eyes widening at me in question, but I just shrugged to let him know I had no idea where it came from. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else, turning back to the others as we headed out of the Common Room.

"Hang on," Theodore frowned as we walked, looking down at Parkinson's wrist as she walked next to him, and then over at Lillian on her other side, "Are they the same?"

We all exchanged grins, holding up our wrists to the boys, their eyes widening when they realised they were.

"Courtesy of Greengrass," Tracey stated.

"Apparently she has a heart," I quipped, looking at the blonde with a grin, "Who knew?"

Blaise pouted a little, "No fair, now it feels like you're all in some secret club we aren't a part of," Theo and Draco both nodded, examining all our wrists.

"If you really want one Zabini…"

"I was kidding," Blaise said quickly, making us all laugh, "Obviously."

I shook my head as we continued to walk, excited conversation starting about the ball tonight. I absentmindedly fiddled with the new chain around my neck, smiling to myself when I realised what I was doing. I prickled suddenly when I felt eyes on me and looked up just in time to catch Malfoy looking away quickly. I narrowed my eyes slightly in suspicion, we'd barely said two words to each other in the last week, why the hell would he be looking at me when I wasn't paying attention?

I headed straight for the Gryffindor table when we reached the Great Hall, nodding to Daphne when she called after me that I'd promised to get ready with them for the ball.

"Merry Christmas!" I exclaimed, leaning over Harry's back and throwing my arms around his shoulders.

He craned his neck to look at me with a grin, "Hey! Merry Christmas, Cass."

I gave him one more tight squeeze before I let go, sitting down next to him and grinning at the group in front of me, "How was everyone's loot, then?"

"So many sweets," Ron grinned happily, staring at the ceiling wistfully.

"Thank you for the book," Hermione said gracefully, "I haven't read that one!"

I cheered quietly, "Mission accomplished!" It was sometimes impossible to find a book that Hermione Granger hadn't read.

"I see you've done well," Harry turned in his seat, noticing the earrings and the bracelet, and then his mouth dropping open a little in shock when he saw the new necklace around my neck.

"Who got you that?!"

"It's amazing," Hermione breathed, leaning forward a little.

"I know," I smiled, touching it gently again, "I have no idea who gave it to me though, there was no card."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Weird."

"Kinda creepy," Ron agreed, shovelling bacon into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"Do you think it was Sirius?" Harry continued.

"Maybe?" I shrugged, "He must have got it together pretty quick if it was."

Harry looked like he was going to say something else, but he didn't get the chance before I let out a shriek as I felt myself picked up off the bench and spun around.

"George!" I yelled out in protest, not even needing to look to know it was the Weasley twin spinning me.

He put me down gently, ruffling my hair and ignoring my protest as he grinned, "Just trying to wish you a Merry Christmas CB!"

I gave him a little shove in the chest, "Merry Christmas you arsehole!"

He simply laughed, shooting me a wink before he sat down between Ron and Ginny, and I smiled happily when Fred came into view.

"Merry Christmas," he said, hugging me tightly and giving me a soft kiss.

"I loved your present," I whispered, keeping my arms wrapped around him as I looked up at him happily.

He grinned, "I hoped you would."

"And I can already imagine all the mischief I'll be causing with my box of goodies," I smirked, "You spoil me."

He looked so happy that I'd liked his presents that my heart soared. I knew they didn't have much and I hadn't wanted him to think he needed to buy me anything special.

"I could say the same to you," he winked, "Brand new Quidditch gloves, and a tie that I'm guessing was a hint to what colour you'll be wearing tonight?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Maybe," I grinned, playing with the front of his sweater.

"Are you two done yet?" George rolled his eyes dramatically, drawing our attention, "Some of us are trying to enjoy breakfast!"

"Don't be jealous, Georgie." Fred shot back with a wink, and I laughed as George pretended to pout.

"Will you be joining us for our snowball fight?" he turned back to me.

"Count me in," I nodded, "Any chance I can get to piff snow at Ron's face."

"Hey!"

Fred and I just laughed at the affronted look on the younger Weasley's face, which was also still stuffed full of food, making him look even funnier. I smiled as I looked between my friends, this was probably the best Christmas morning I'd ever had.

"You look happy," Fred said softly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, "It's nice to see after this last week," his face changed to a concerned frown.

I shrugged, "How could I not be? Christmas at Hogwarts with all the people I love, what's better than that?"

He smiled again, kissing me softly. As he pulled back, he seemed to notice all my new jewelry, his eyes widening as they landed on the necklace.

"Who…?"

"I don't know," I said sincerely, "It just appeared with my presents, no note attached."

"Huh," he frowned, picking it up gently and examining it, "It's very you."

"That's what everyone's been saying," I replied.

"Well," he let it go, glancing at my earrings and charm bracelet as well, "You're very sparkly now."

I giggled, "That's my other present to you, the sparkly girlfriend update."

The frown fell off his face at my joke, replaced with that cheeky grin that I loved so much, "Excellent, I've always wanted one of those."

The others started to stand up around us, and Harry turned to me with a grin, "Snowball fight?"

"Always," I agreed.

"Cassie!"

I almost jumped out of my skin at the sudden sound of Daphne's voice, and turned to see her standing behind me. I looked at her incredulously, I don't think Daphne Greengrass had ever stood this close to the Gryffindor table in her life.

"Greengrass?"

Daphne's eyes flickered between the Gryffindors disapprovingly, making me roll my eyes at her a little, before she settled on me with determination.

"Where are you going?"

"To have a snowball fight," I responded slowly, exchanging a confused look with Fred, who looked just as baffled as me.

Daphne looked appalled, "You don't have time for a snowball fight! We have to get ready for the ball!"

"Wha-" I blinked, "Daphne, it's barely 11am. The ball doesn't start til 8!"

"Exactly!" Daphne exclaimed in horror, grabbing my arm, "We're already behind!"

"But my snowball fight!" I whined, trying to wriggle out of her grip as she started to drag me away, ignoring the Gryffindors snickering in amusement.

"You promised to get ready with us," Daphne turned stern, suddenly becoming what we all like to refer to as 'mother hen Daphne'. And we all knew never to argue with this Daphne, that was digging your own grave.

I slumped, looking apologetically at my friends, "I guess I'll see you later."

"Don't worry," George grinned, "I'll get Ron in the face for you."

I gave them all one last smile before I let Daphne drag me away, already tuning her out as she started to list the many things we had to do to be ready for tonight.

* * *

"Someone make the torture end!" I groaned dramatically as I stormed into the boys' dorm room a few hours later, flopping next to Blaise where he was relaxing on his bed.

"That bad?" Theodore asked in amusement, glancing at me in the mirror he was standing in front of comparing ties.

"I didn't exactly plan to spend my whole Christmas day getting ready for a ball! I didn't even know there was this much to do," I complained, sitting up, "I mean, I like getting dressed up as much as the next girl, but this feels a little extreme."

Blaise chuckled, tugging gently on one of the rollers in my hair with an amused look in his eyes, "Greengrass got to you, then?"

I let out a sigh, swatting his hand away lightly, "You know how she is when she goes mother-hen mode. None of us stood a chance…"

Blaise nodded in agreement, and I saw Theodore smiling fondly in the mirror and had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

It was then that I realised Malfoy was in the room too, he was lying back on his bed and pointedly staying silent, reading a book on Quidditch plays.

"How did you want to spend your day then?" Blaise questioned, poking my side playfully and smirking when I flinched away from him. The bastard knew I was ticklish.

"Piffing snowballs at Ron Weasley," I sighed wistfully, "The Christmas Day snowball fight is tradition!"

"That actually doesn't sound so bad, you know." Theodore grinned, probably thinking about how much he'd like to throw snowballs at Ron.

"Sounds childish to me," Malfoy sneered, not even looking up from his book. I turned to glare at him, slightly shocked he'd even spoken. Usually when I was in a room he was also occupying lately he just pretended I didn't exist.

"Just because you don't know how to have fun, Malfoy," I snapped in reply. He rolled his eyes, but still didn't look up from the pages in front of him.

I let my head fall on Blaise's shoulder, sighing dramatically.

"How long do you think before Greengrass comes looking for you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Not long enough."

No sooner had the words left my mouth, that Daphne herself appeared in the doorway, glaring at me furiously.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

The three boys immediately started snickering, trying their best not to laugh and provoke her more.

"Resting?" I supplied weakly, lifting my head off Blaise's shoulder.

"Get your tiny ass back in that room!" she yelled, pointing back in the direction of our dorms.

"You know," I pondered, looking at Blaise thoughtfully, "I don't remember having a mother, but this is what I imagine it would have been like sometimes."

Blaise snorted, trying and failing to conceal his laugh as I stood up with a wink.

"Cut her some slack, CB," Theo commented drily, "She has to somehow wrangle all of you into looking presentable tonight, can't imagine that to be easy."

I smirked, "I already have a father though, thank you Theodore."

Blaise and Malfoy both burst into laughter as Theodore and Daphne both blushed furiously at my insinuation of them being a mother and father.

"Come on!" Daphne said again as I begrudgingly walked towards the door, fidgeting awkwardly, before glancing at the ties Theo was trying to decide between and pausing. "Go with the silver, it'll match Pansy better."

We all looked at her in surprise, feeling the awkwardness grow when Theo made eye contact with her in the mirror and then nodded, giving her a small but grateful smile. Daphne nodded curtly, before grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the room.

I smirked at her as we made the quick walk back to our dorm, and she glared back at me from the corner of her eye. I let out a sigh as we re-entered the mad house, sitting on the edge of my bed and watching Tracey and Lillian trying to fix their hair in place while Madi meticulously painted her toenails, and Pansy was looking at herself in the mirror and crying while Daphne tried to calm her down.

I busied myself by starting to read through the book Hermione had gotten me, tuning out the craziness of the room around me. My peace didn't last long though, soon enough Daphne had bustled over and started taking the curlers out of my head; Madi deciding that now she wanted to paint my nails since hers were done. I smiled softly to myself as I let my friends pamper me, maybe this whole thing wasn't so bad after all. It was nice to just hang out with my friends like we were normal girls getting ready for a ball, I knew I should hold these moments close, they would be the ones I'd remember.

"We need to start getting dressed!" Daphne exclaimed in horror, applying the last of her lip gloss and rushing towards the cupboard, "We're meeting the boys in 40 minutes!"

Everyone started scrambling to finish the last bit of their makeup, before pulling out their robes.

I tucked a stray curl into the updo Lillian had perfected, before waving my wand and making sure it was going to stay in place all night. I glanced at it one more time, nodding in satisfaction. Half of my black hair was pulled into a little bun, leaving the bottom layer flowing over my shoulders, curled to perfection with two perfectly positioned curls on either side of my face.

I already felt different, I barely left my hair out because I hated it getting in my way. It was always in a braid, or sometimes two to make sure it was well kept together. But I had to admit, I didn't mind having it out this way.

"Love it," Madi smiled at me, patting her perfect curls to make sure they were going to stay.

"Same to you," I winked back. I stood up, walking and reaching for my robes which had been hanging on my bedpost.

"Come on!" Daphne said again, clapping her hands together, "Everyone get dressed!" I rolled my eyes slightly at her bossiness, but I knew she was right, we didn't have much time left before we had to meet our dates.

"Oh, I'm so excited to see everyone all dressed up!" Lillian said gleefully as she disappeared into the bathroom.

"All the boys are going to look so handsome," Tracey sighed in agreement.

"Don't let Warrington hear you say that Davis, you already broke Goyle's heart by not being his date we can't have you breaking another," Madi said with a wink, "You'll start to get a reputation." I laughed as Tracey shot Madi a withering glare, turning away to start getting herself into her robes. Tracey had managed to dodge Goyle's sudden advances by securing herself a date with Cassius Warrington, and Lillian was going with the Slytherin Keeper, Miles Bletchley.

I finally stepped into my robes, pulling the zip up at the back and letting out a satisfied sigh at the feeling of the soft material. I turned to the mirror, running my hands down my front, a smile on my lips. The robes were a dark green, embroidered with flowers all along the top before it flowed out with layers of chiffon, the embroidery more scattered along the bottom. The back was open at the top, the straps crossing over each other corset style.

"Gorgeous," Madi said from behind me, and I turned to face her, my eyes lighting up when I got the first look at my best friend in her robes. It was no secret that Madi was one of the prettiest girls in our year at Hogwarts, and these robes managed to accentuate every one of her features perfectly. It was a slim fit, shiny silver material with sparkling details. It dipped just enough at the top to be proper, but just a little bit cheeky. A perfect fit for Madi.

"Beautiful," I said back, grasping her hand and squeezing it gently. I turned to look around, seeing everyone else was in their robes as well, and we were all looking around at each other, beaming happily. Daphne's were grey, with gold embellished embroidered vines and leaves; Lillian's dress was midnight blue and sparkled like the night sky; Tracey was clad in layers of black chiffon, and even Parkinson's much anticipated frilly pink robes weren't terrible.

"Well, we don't scrub up so bad," Tracey grinned.

"I should hope so," Daphne said defensively, "I just spent all day making sure of it!"

"No one asked you to, Greengrass," Lillian said as we started heading out of the dorm.

"You'll be thanking me later," Daphne stuck her nose up, and I exchanged a dramatic eye roll with Tracey, linking my arm in hers as we reached the Common Room. I was meeting Fred outside the hall, but everyone else was meeting their dates here seeing as they were all Slytherin. Thankfully, Malfoy and Avery were not with the group of boys waiting for us.

I followed Madi over to Blaise, hanging back a little as they first greeted each other, smiling to myself when I saw Blaise practically lost for words when he got his first look at his girlfriend. He looked over to me next, a grin breaking out on his face.

"Weasley is not going to know what hit him," he said, pulling me in for a half-hug, seemingly wise enough to realise a full-blown hug would ruin all Daphne's hard work.

I laughed, Madi and I taking one of his arms each as our group started towards the Great Hall. We all chatted excitedly on the way about the night ahead, mostly ignoring Daphne trying to rush as because we were running a little late. I wondered if that girl would relax at all tonight.

Blaise suddenly turned to me with a devious twinkle in his eye, "Do you have it?"

I grinned back mischievously, "I do."

Madi looked between us suspiciously, "What are you two plotting?"

"Nothing," Blaise said to her innocently, before giving me a subtle wink which I returned with ease. Madi still looked a little sus but dropped it anyway as we finally reached the Great Hall.

The entrance way was full of students bustling around, dressed in robes of all different colours and style. I craned my neck, trying to spot Fred's ginger head amongst the crowd. I couldn't see him, but I managed to spot Harry and Ron, so headed their way after promising Blaise and Madi I would find them later.

"You don't scrub up so bad, Potter," I grinned as I reached them, both Ron and Harry turning to me, eyes boggling.

"You look incredible!" Harry exclaimed, and I smirked when I saw the Patil twins both staring at me with narrowed eyes.

"Have you seen Hermione anywhere?" Ron asked, glancing around the room.

"No, have you seen your brother?"

Ron shook his head, but I don't even think he'd been listening to me properly, apparently too concerned about Hermione's whereabouts.

I let out an irritated sigh, trying my best to stand up on my toes to search the room. This proved difficult however because of the stupid heels I was wearing, even if they did make me taller than usual.

"Potter! There you are!" McGonagall came bustling over, "Champions must wait over to the side, you will be entering once everyone else has sat down," she turned to Ron, Padma and me, "The three of you inside, please."

"I haven't found my date yet, Professor!" I protested, frowning slightly as I continued to scan the room.

Professor McGonagall looked around for approximately .5 of a second before she gestured over behind my shoulder, "Mr Weasley is by that column, Miss Black."

I turned, my eyes brightening when I indeed saw Fred waiting with George and Alicia, seemingly searching for me as well. I said a quick goodbye to the other two before I trotted as fast as my heels would take me towards my boyfriend.

"Found her!" George spotted me first, a huge grin on his face as I approached.

Fred turned, his mouth dropping open slightly as I came to a stop in front of him. I looked him up and down in admiration, smiling happily when I noticed he was wearing the bowtie I'd gifted him that morning, making us match perfectly.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he breathed, his arms coming up tightly around my waist.

"Well, it did take a whole day," I grinned in response, running my hand up one of his arms.

"How did I get so lucky?" he murmured, leaning down so his lips hovered just over mine.

"I'm definitely the lucky one," I responded, before happily meeting his lips in a soft kiss.

George cleared his throat, making me giggle and Fred glare at his brother as we pulled away.

"We should probably head inside," he said, eyes twinkling. Fred and I nodded, and I took the arm he offered with a soft smile before we all headed inside the Hall.

I let out a gasp as we walked through the door. The walls were covered in sparkling frost, with thousands of garlands strung all around, a lot I noticed with a smirk that included mistletoe. The usual tables of the Great Hall had vanished, instead hundreds of round tables filled the room leaving a large dance floor at the front. It was spectacular, but I had expected nothing less. Fred and I headed over to one of the tables, I had decided it would be for the best if we sat with the Gryffindors, I hadn't even bothered to ask him if he wanted to sit with my Slytherin friends because I knew what his answer would have been. I didn't mind all that much though as I glanced around and found my friends table a few to the left, noticing Malfoy and Gorgia had chosen to sit with them. The last thing I wanted was to sit through a dinner with those two. Blaise noticed me looking and grinned, nudging Madi slightly who looked over at me with a smile as well. She then looked towards Malfoy and Gorgia quickly before glancing back at me and making a face, which caused me to laugh and shoot her a grin back. I turned towards the front of the room, spotting my dad, James and Remus at the champions table, Dumbledore had offered for me and Fred to sit with them, but I'd said no. I would feel like I was intruding sitting over there.

"I'm going to have to share you a bit tonight, aren't I?" Fred murmured in my ear, seemingly noticing all my looking around, and I looked at him with a shrug.

"I'm very sought after, hard to lock down you know."

He chuckled, "As long as I get you the most."

I pressed a quick kiss on his cheek, "I promise."

Our attention was drawn to the front as the music swelled and the Champions walked in, everyone applauding as they did so. Harry looked incredibly uncomfortable, and I had to suppress a glare at Parvati smiling and waving at everyone like she was the bloody Queen. Roger Davies turned out to be the lucky man Fleur had chosen as her date, and I scowled when I saw Cedric walk in with Cho on his arm. Krum came in last, and I broke out into a huge grin when I realised who his date was.

"Is that…" Padma trailed off, disbelief written on her features, "Hermione Granger? With Viktor Krum?"

"No," Ron visibly gulped, his eyes wide in horror, "Can't be."

I exchanged amused looks with the twins at Ron's obvious jealousy, this was definitely going to be an interesting night.

"Did she tell you?" I whispered across the table to Ginny, who was here as Neville's date.

Ginny nodded, beaming. "Yep!"

I shook my head in wonder, watching as the Champions began to dance. I couldn't help but feel a little proud of my friend, she had managed to snag the most sought-after date within all three schools. I couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more. I had to hold in my giggles while I watched Harry dance, he was so awkward and concentrating way too hard, it made it all very entertaining.

As the dance ended, we all turned back to the table and glanced at the menus. I was confused for a moment as to how it all worked, until Alicia figured out all you had to do was tell your plate what you wanted.

"Ron hasn't stopped glaring at Hermione and Krum since they walked in," George snorted, and we glanced at the mentioned Weasley to see him blatantly staring across the room to the Champions table.

"Idiot, he should have just asked her himself," I rolled my eyes.

"Nah, that would have been the logical thing to do," Fred responded with a wink, making George and I laugh.

"Well, she's definitely the scandal of the night," George remarked.

"Disappointing, this never even came up in our predictions," I sighed, referring to the constant discussions I'd been having with my dorm about tonight.

"Don't think you're the only one who's shocked," Fred responded, and I realised he was right as I glanced at the rest of our table. Padma, Lavender Brown and Katie Bell were whispering harshly amongst themselves, shooting accusing looks towards the champions table every so often. I rolled my eyes, noticing Ron, Seamus and Dean Thomas didn't seem too bothered by their respective dates ignoring them, the latter two happily stuffing their faces while Ron continued to sulk.

We continued with dinner, I spent most of it laughing at Lee Jordan and the twins' impressions of Ron or chatting to Ginny and Neville. Just as we had started dessert, my attention was drawn by my name being yelled across the room by Madi and Blaise.

"What?" I yelled back; eyebrows raised. They simply started gesturing for me to come over to their table, the expressions on their faces telling me they were not going to take no for an answer. I put down my fork, giving Fred a slightly apologetic look before I headed over to their table.

"What do you want?" I questioned, before yelping in surprise as Madi pulled me down to sit on her lap, continuing to eat her dessert around me like nothing was different.

"This is kidnapping," I said bluntly, glaring between her and Blaise.

"Did you know Granger was coming with Viktor Krum?" Daphne questioned, nobody really phased by the fact I had joined their table. Well, except Malfoy, who was pointedly ignoring my presence; and Gorgia, who was glaring daggers at me.

"No," I sighed.

"I can't believe it," Pansy said snarkily, "Out of everyone, he chose her?"

I rolled my eyes, "Maybe it's because Hermione is actually an interesting person to talk to. And she doesn't trail around after him like every other girl in this bloody school."

"Interesting is one way to describe her," Blaise snorted, and I glared at him slightly before stealing his fork from his hand and shoving a mouthful of his pudding in my mouth. He snatched it back from me with an eye roll but didn't say anything further on the situation.

"How's Weasley taking the news?" Lillian asked me knowingly.

"Awfully," I grinned back, "He's so distraught he can't even eat."

Tracey gasped in horror, "Oh boy, it is bad!"

"Well I guess that's some consolation for you all," Theodore smirked, "At least we know Weasley is suffering."

The whole group of us laughed, and I couldn't even stop myself from laughing at the ginger's expense, he really was being ridiculous.

The music started to swell once again, letting everyone know the dancing part of the evening was beginning. I looked back over to my table, and saw Fred was talking with George and Alicia, but watching me out of the corner of his eye. I quickly looked over to the champions table and decided I should probably say hello to my father and the others. I stood from Madi's lap, straightening my dress as I did so.

"I'll catch up with you lot later, I have other people who require my presence!"

They let me go, the girls calling out warnings that I better come back and dance with them later as I went. I exchanged a quick smile with Fred as I walked, but he must have realised where I was going because he nodded reassuringly at me. I frowned a little to myself, this would be so much easier if my two groups of friends weren't mortal enemies.

I reached the champions table, my dad standing up to greet me and pulling me into a hug immediately.

"You look beautiful, kid," he said quietly as he pulled back, eyes shining as he looked me up and down.

"Thanks dad," I whispered, smiling at him softly. He had a strange look in his eyes as he gazed down at me, like he was seeing something in me for the first time. I moved over to James and Remus, hugging them both as well and thanking them when they told me I looked beautiful as well.

I finally looked over at Hermione, who was chatting animatedly to Krum, but looked up when she noticed me looking. I gave her a wink and thumbs up, and she blushed before turning back to her date. I noticed Harry was sitting with his arms crossed, his eyes flicking between Cedric and Cho irritably and rolled my eyes.

"He and Ron are as bad as each other," I stated to the three adults, who nodded in agreement, eyes dancing in amusement.

"I noticed you've been busy tonight already," Remus observed, looking at me knowingly. Out of the three of them he understood the divide I felt between my two friendship groups at Hogwarts. Mostly due to the fact he'd taught here for a year, so had seen it firsthand.

"I'm in very high demand, as a matter of fact," I responded, making them laugh.

"Are you enjoying it so far, though?" my dad questioned, and I nodded with a happy smile.

Most people had moved out onto the dance floor now, and I saw Fred making his way over to us.

"Sorry," I smiled as he reached us, wrapping an arm around my waist, "I was coming back, I swear!"

He chuckled, "It's fine, I just meant what I said earlier."

"Fred," my dad said, and I had to hide my smile at his sudden attempt to be stern, "I hope you know I want her back in her bed by 12."

"Dad!"

Fred only laughed, giving my father a mock salute, "Of course."

My dad grinned back, clapping him good-naturedly on the back and ignoring my annoyed expression.

"How about a dance, then?" Fred looked down at me, and I nodded with a smile, the two of us turning away to head towards the dance floor.

"Black!" Lillian and Madi appeared in front of us before we'd even taken a step, and I groaned when I saw the looks on their faces.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"Greengrass is crying in the bathroom," Lillian stated.

"Already?" my eyes widened in shock, and I saw Fred rolling his eyes in displeasure at my two friends' appearance.

"Theo and Parkinson started snogging at the table in front of her," Madi rolled her eyes.

"Gross," I wrinkled my nose up, trying not to picture Parkinson snogging anyone, before sighing, "But also not fun for Daphne."

"How is any of this her problem?" Fred interrupted, obviously intent on getting the two of them away from us.

Lillian and Madi both glared at him, and I shifted uncomfortably a little at the sudden tension.

"Because someone has to help calm her down," Lillian snapped, turning to face me once more, "And you always know what to say in these situations."

"That's because she actually has a heart," Fred muttered quietly.

"Stop it!" I hissed harshly, not wanting a full-blown fight to break out between my boyfriend and friends, who looked ready to rip into each other. I knew my boyfriend would be more understanding, so I turned to look at him pleadingly.

"Fred, I promise I will come and find you as soon as we've sorted this out, okay?"

He sighed, still looking irritated, before thankfully kissing the top of my head and heading back towards our table.

I could feel a headache coming on, which was not ideal considering it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet. I turned back to my friends, determined.

"Right, let's go remind Daphne Greengrass who the fuck she is."

"Hang on!"

I let out a groan when Blaise suddenly appeared next to me, Malfoy not far behind him.

"Snape just went outside to do his check, now's our chance!"

"You people know I'm only one person, right?" I sighed in irritation.

"Do you have the potion or not?" Blaise replied, and I rolled my eyes, fishing a tiny vial out of my purse and handing it to him quickly.

"You idiots better be fast!" I hissed, looking between them, "Snape won't be stupid enough to stay gone long, I'd say you've got about forty seconds."

They both nodded, before quickly scurrying away.

"And what was that all about?" my dad asked, and I turned back to the three adults, who were looking at me with raised eyebrows after that little display.

I winked at them in return, "Well, someone has to spike the punch."

"And what on earth are you spiking it with?" James raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, that wasn't what we were spiking it with," I waved my hand dismissively, "That was just a little potion to stop Snape from being able to detect that it's been spiked at all."

"I know I'm supposed to be disappointed," my dad said slowly, "But I think I'm more leaning towards being proud…"

"I learned from the best," I shrugged innocently.

"Shit," Lillian hissed suddenly, nudging me, "Snape's back!"

My eyes widened, and I looked towards the snack table where Blaise and Malfoy had just arrived, and then back at the Potions professor who was striding towards them purposely.

"Ugh, I have to do everything myself!" I exclaimed, before making a beeline to the snack table, which thankfully wasn't far from the champions table. I slid in behind the punch bowl and grabbed the vial from Blaise's hand just as he was about to tip it in, causing him to look at me angrily.

"What the hell-"

"Professor!" I interrupted, Blaise's eyes widening in realisation before he turned around and the three of us smiled innocently at our Head of House.

"And just what are you three up to?" he raised an eyebrow, looking between the three of us with narrowed eyes.

Malfoy shifted a little, so he shielded my hands from view, "Nothing sir, just grabbing some refreshing punch."

"Hmm…" Snape said, still looking unconvinced, "You don't mind if I get some first, do you?"

"Not at all," Blaise responded.

I moved to stand with my hands behind my back, acting as if I was choosing to casually stand this way. Snape kept his eyes on all three of us as he collected some punch, before taking a small sip. He was silent for a few moments, before he seemed to decide it was fine and waltzed off with a swish of his cloak.

"Fucking hell," Blaise visibly relaxed, looking at me out of the corner of his eye, "Quick, do it now!"

I looked at Malfoy, who gave a small nod, and I saw he already had his hand in the pockets of his robe. I quickly tipped the contents of the vial into the punch, watching as it fizzed for a few moments with bated breath before it thankfully returned to normal. Malfoy then quickly dumped the flask into the punch, and we all exchanged a grin.

"Right, now I have a crying friend to calm down," I sighed, "Then a boyfriend to dance with, and then probably a sulky champion to cheer up."

"Drink up first," Malfoy said, handing both of us a cup of our new and improved punch, "I think we deserve the first cups for our efforts."

We all clinked our cups together in cheers, before taking big gulps. I risked a glance at Malfoy, this was the most we'd interacted all week, and it was strange how normal it felt to be talking to him again. He met my eyes for a moment, before we both looked away again quickly, and I took another massive gulp for good measure.

"Not so fast!" Blaise exclaimed, looking at me in slight horror as I downed almost the whole cup, "You have the body weight of a malnourished house elf, you'll be on the floor."

I shot him a small glare, before heading off in the direction of the bathroom to find the girls. He wasn't wrong though, even that one cup had left me feeling a little bit lightheaded. I stopped when I saw Daphne herself walk out of the bathroom flanked by the other girls and let out a little sigh of relief that I didn't need to deal with that problem anymore.

Almost like he'd known, I felt arms wrap around my waist from behind.

"Now can I have that dance?" Fred murmured, kissing the side of my neck gently, making me giggle.

"You may, sir."

He led me back towards the dance floor and pulled me in close and I wrapped my arms around my neck as we started to sway to the music.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, "I know I've been everywhere tonight."

He chuckled, tucking a curl behind my ear, "Don't apologise, I understand everyone wanting you around. You are pretty incredible."

I looked up at him, playing gently with the hair at the back of his neck, "I don't deserve you, Fred Weasley."

He shrugged, eyes twinkling playfully as he twirled me around, "Probably not, but here we are."

I laughed, hitting his chest lightly before continuing to dance around the hall.

* * *

Another hour-and-a-half later, I plonked down next to Harry where he was still sulking at his table, except now Ron had joined him as well. I had managed to dance with Fred for a solid forty-five minutes, before George stole me away from his brother for a dance. Then, the girls had kidnapped me when the music had turned to more fast-paced dancing than waltzing, and I had danced non-stop with them for the other hour. I was exhausted, and it was only just after 11.

"Tired?" my dad asked, looking at me in amusement.

I nodded, "I think my feet might fall off."

"You've been all over the place tonight," Harry observed.

"And you've been sitting here sulking like a loser," I shot back, eyebrows raised, "Seriously, what is wrong with you two? You do realise you are wasting your whole night for no bloody reason, right?"

"I'm enjoying myself just fine here," he replied stubbornly, and I snorted, rolling my eyes.

"Right. Even I felt sorry for the Patil's before those Durmstrang boys saved them."

"Sod off," Ron muttered, evidently not in the mood.

I went to retort but was distracted by Professor Snape returning to the table at that moment, looking like he'd aged twenty years just this evening.

"Professor Snape," I grinned, "You look like you're having a splendid time! Was that Professor Trelawney I saw you waltzing with before?"

His eyes narrowed as my dad, James and Remus all snorted.

"Do not make me give you detention, Black."

My mouth dropped open slightly, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow, "So you wouldn't happen to know anything about a certain plot to spike the punch?"

I smiled innocently, batting my eyes for good measure, "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

The three Marauders were all trying their best to keep a straight face, my Head of House glaring suspiciously between all of us as I continued to feign innocence.

"You really have raised her in your image," he drawled icily to my father eventually, who simply shrugged before Snape stormed away once again.

"I know we really shouldn't be encouraging her," James grinned, "But anything that gets Snivellus riled up like that has my blessing."

"You're right," Remus rolled his eyes slightly as I reached over and gave my godfather a high-five, "We shouldn't be encouraging her," but even his eyes were twinkling in humour.

"Since when do you plot with Malfoy, anyway?" Harry suddenly asked bitterly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Montague and Flint dared him and Blaise, so Blaise asked for my help."

"So, the potion was your idea then I'm guessing?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Like those two could come up with that," I snorted.

"I resent that," Blaise said drily as he appeared in front of us, ignoring the filthy looks Harry and Ron immediately sent his way for even daring to be in their presence.

"You know I'm right, Zabini." I winked, then sighed, "What do you want?"

He held out his hand, "You still owe me a dance, remember?"

I groaned, sliding down in my seat, "I don't think I can take any more!"

"Stop being dramatic for once in your life," he rolled his eyes, pulling me up when I begrudgingly took his hand.

"You raised me to be that too," I said over my shoulder to my father as we went, who shot me a wink in response.

"You better find some more energy soon," Blaise remarked as we started dancing, "We still have the whole after-party to get through."

I dropped my head onto his shoulder dramatically, "When does it end?" I moaned.

He chuckled, shrugging his shoulder to make me lift my head before we continued to dance for a couple of minutes in silence.

"So," he said suddenly, "Seeming as you're so exhausted, does that mean you won't have enough energy to kill me?"

I frowned in confusion, "Why would I want to kill you?"

He simply smirked, looking quickly over his shoulder, making me narrow my eyes in suspicion.

"Zabini, what are you about to-"

I didn't get to finish, squealing in surprise as he suddenly spun me out, so fast that I had no idea what direction I was even going in before I slammed into someone else's chest. I blinked in confusion for a moment, trying to get my bearings before I finally looked up at whoever I'd just been spun into – and immediately scowled.

"Malfoy."

"Black," he smirked, pulling my hands into the correct positions and falling into rhythm like this was perfectly normal.

"Are you trying to have me killed?" I hissed, my eyes darting around for any sign of Gorgia, or my boyfriend, or any of my Gryffindor friends who would be less than pleased with seeing this.

"I think that's a little dramatic," he rolled his eyes.

"You'd be surprised…" I muttered quietly to myself, making him look down at me with raised eyebrows.

"Don't you have your own date to dance with, anyway?" I demanded, and he scoffed.

"I'd rather not."

"Then why on earth did you come with her if you weren't even going to dance with her?"

"Well I wasn't going to come alone," he sneered, "That would have been pathetic."

"Right," I rolled my eyes, "And forcing me to dance with you yet again isn't?"

"Well," his smirk returned to his lips, "You haven't hexed me yet like I'd expected, so I'd say you're actually enjoying yourself."

As if he were trying to prove his point, or maybe just so I wouldn't be able to respond he suddenly twirled me out and back into his chest with a flourish, smirking to himself at how smoothly the twirl had gone.

I looked up at him, trying to catch his gaze, but he was pointedly avoiding looking at me, "What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

He almost looked irritated as he finally met my eyes, "Is it so hard for you to believe I may just want to dance with you?"

I didn't respond, because surprisingly I couldn't just fire a yes back at him, it wasn't so hard for me to believe with how our relationship dynamic had changed this year. I held his gaze, trying to find any kind of plot behind his eyes, but as usual his grey eyes were steeled, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"See?" he broke our eye contact, smirking in triumph, "I told you eventually you'd realise you like having me around."

I was becoming increasingly aware of the amount of people who were watching us and knew I would have definitely been spotted by Harry or one of the others by now. I silently cursed myself when my heartbeat increased at the thought of Gorgia seeing this, I hated this new power she had over me.

"You've gone suspiciously silent," Malfoy drawled.

"Maybe I just don't want to talk to you," I snapped.

He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything else. The longer we danced the more I started to notice the way his hands felt resting on my waist, and how even though we'd only danced together once before this, how easily we seemed to move with each other. It was making me much more nervous than it should have been.

"Cass."

We stopped, and I quickly detached myself from Malfoy's grip as I turned to face Fred, who was glaring harshly at us.

"Weasley," Malfoy smirked, "Having a pleasant night?"

"What the hell is this?" he demanded, ignoring Malfoy and looking at me. I almost flinched at the look in his eyes, he kept looking between me and Malfoy like he was trying to figure out if I was playing some sort of sick joke on him.

"Fred, it's not what it looks like," I took a step towards him.

"It looks like you're dancing with him," he nodded in the blonde's direction, his eyes steeled.

"Not intentionally!"

"What's the matter Weasley? Are you worried she's finally realised she can do better than you?" Malfoy sneered, and my eyes widened as Fred stepped forward, his eyes flashing.

"Fred!" I held my hand out, stopping him, before shooting a warning glare back at Malfoy, who looked far too pleased with the situation.

"Are you supposed to be better than me, then?" my boyfriend said lowly, still focused on the blonde.

If people hadn't been watching before they were now, and I was becoming increasingly worried about this situation escalating into something I'd rather avoid. It was dawning on me that this was probably exactly what Malfoy had wanted to happen.

"I thought that would be obvious," Malfoy sneered, "Isn't your family used to being second best by now?"

Fred surged forward again, one of his hands going for his pocket where I knew his wand probably was and I quickly stepped in the middle of the two of them, looking at him pleadingly.

"Fred, _please_ , let's just go outside for a minute, okay?"

He still wasn't looking at me, practically shaking with anger at this point, and I didn't even need to look at Malfoy to know he was simply smirking, achieving exactly what he'd been trying to achieve.

"Fred," I said again, grasping his hand and squeezing, "This is what he wants, let's just go."

"You should listen to your girlfriend, blood-traitor," Malfoy seethed. I whirled around to face him, stepping further back so I was right up against Fred's chest to stop him from trying to move forward again, and glared fiercely at the blonde.

"Leave it, Malfoy."

His eyes drifted between the two of us, before he held my gaze for a moment. I glared unwaveringly back at him, frowning slightly when I saw a little uncertainty in his grey eyes, like there was something else he wanted to say. But just as quickly it was gone, replaced by a cold sneer before he stalked off without another word.

I let out a sigh of relief, looking up at Fred who was still watching Malfoy as he walked away and gave his hand another tug. He seemed to snap back to reality, staring back at me with a look I couldn't quite read before he wrenched his hand from my grasp and stormed towards the exit.

I quickly rushed after him, managing to keep up as we made it out into the cold, wrapping my arms around myself instinctively as the cold air hit me.

"Can you just let me explain?" I said quietly.

"Explain?" he whirled around to face me, and I was taken aback at the coldness of his gaze as he looked at me, "Explain what? How I've barely seen you all night? Which, I think I've been pretty patient about, by the way."

"You have-"

"And then I find you after you ditch me again, only to see you having a brilliant time dancing with Malfoy?! Do you think I haven't noticed that the two of you have gotten weirdly close this year? How you always seem to find some excuse, some reason for him being an absolute prat?!"

"Fred, please, this isn't what it looked like!" I felt the tears start to prick at my eyes as I watched him look so lost, so broken in front of me. Had he really noticed me and Malfoy's civility that much this year?

"It doesn't matter what it looked like, it still happened," he said thickly.

"No, you don't understand!" I cried desperately, trying to make him understand that he was wrong, "Blaise tricked me and-"

"I don't care," he cut me off again, his steely expression not wavering, "What I care about is that I'm your boyfriend, I'm supposed to be your priority and tonight just proved that I'm not."

My eyes widened, and I felt the tears starting to fall, "That's not true!"

"It is!" he exclaimed angrily, and I jumped a little, "I have done everything I can to show you how important you are to me, so why does it feel like you don't feel the same?"

I slumped, looking up to try and stop crying, letting out a shaky breath before looking back at him, trying to show him how much he meant to me, "I'm sorry."

His face softened a little as he gazed back at me, "I know you, Cass. I know you struggle to let people in all the way, but I am trying my best here. Is it so wrong of me to ask for a little something back from you?

"No," I whispered, shaking my head, "It isn't, you deserve that. But you are my priority Fred, I promise."

He let out one more sigh, before walking over to me quickly and finally pulling me in for a hug, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head as he held me close. I let out a small sigh of relief, we had never fought like that before, in fact I don't think we'd ever really fought at all. I knew he had only gotten upset because he cared so much about me, that's who he was. If he decided to care about you, he cared for you with every part of him, and he was right, I should be putting him first too.

"I don't like fighting with you," he murmured, almost like he'd read my mind.

"Me either," I replied quietly. He pulled back, leaning down and pressing his lips against mine in a kiss, pulling me closer and stroking his thumb along my cheek.

"Do you want to go back in?" he murmured as we pulled back, keeping me close.

I nodded, "Yeah, can I meet you in there?"

He frowned, "Are you sure?" he looked almost guilty, so I gave his arm a comforting squeeze.

"I just need a breather for a second, it's been a hell of a night," he still looked unconvinced, so I stepped in close again, "I promise once I come back inside I am exclusively yours."

He smiled, squeezing me tightly, "Good." I gave him one last reassuring smile before he reluctantly walked back inside, seemingly understanding I just needed a minute alone.

I let out another sigh, ignoring the shiver I was starting to get from being out in the cold so long. My head was a jumble, first I couldn't get my interaction with Malfoy out of my head. The way it had felt so natural to dance with him, how we slipped so easily back into whatever strange dynamic we'd developed lately. Mostly I was just trying to figure out why he had been so set on dancing with me that he'd enlisted Blaise's help to make it happen. The more time I was spending with the blonde, the harder it was becoming for me to convince myself that I was supposed to hate him; and that was the most confusing part of all.

Fred had been right though, even if I hadn't been doing it intentionally, I wasn't making him my priority and that wasn't fair. Especially since I knew I was his, he always went out of his way to do everything he could for me, so why was it so hard for me to do the same? I had always been careful about who I'd let into my life, that's why I had been so hesitant at the start of the year to even get in a relationship with him. I had never been good at letting people see the real me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by sudden footsteps and looked to the right to see Harry and Ron racing back towards the Great Hall.

"What are you two idiots doing?"

They both almost jumped out of their skin at my voice, both relaxing in obvious relief when they realised it was only me who had caught them.

"Sneaking off for some fun?" I teased as they came towards me, both shooting me withering looks.

"Just needed some air," Ron muttered.

"You and me both, Ronald." I sighed, looking away with a frown.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, concern etched onto his features when he noticed I was upset.

I nodded, evidently, they'd been outside long enough to miss my spectacle with Fred and Malfoy or they definitely would have brought it up. I was grateful, I didn't exactly feel like re-hashing it all just yet.

"What were you two running from?" I nodded back to where they'd appeared from.

They exchanged a look, like they were trying to figure out whether to tell me something or not, and I looked at them both suspiciously, "What?"

Harry sighed, "We just overheard Karkaroff and Snape arguing."

"Do they know each other?" I frowned in confusion.

"Apparently," Harry responded, "Pretty well I reckon going on what we heard,"

"And what exactly did you hear?"

"Remember what I told you, about Karkaroff being a Death Eater?"

"Where are you going with this Harry?" I narrowed my eyes, noticing the obvious discomfort in them both.

"He was talking to Snape about it," Ron said bluntly, clearly over Harry dancing around the truth, "About the Dark Mark, being a Death Eater."

I looked between the two of them, "Are you mad?"

"Cass, we heard them," Harry defended, clearly surprised that I didn't straight away believe them.

"Well you heard wrong," I snapped, "Snape is not a Death Eater, Harry. Don't be daft, do you really think Dumbledore would employ a follower of You-Know-Who?!"

"Well it explains a lot, don't you reckon?" Harry refused to give up, "Why our dad's hate him so much, why he has such a vendetta against me..."

I shook my head, refusing to believe what I was hearing, "Just because you hate him doesn't mean he's a Death Eater."

Harry was staring at me incredulously, like he couldn't understand why I didn't believe him. But I refused to accept what he was saying at the truth, Snape being a Death Eater just didn't make any sense, it couldn't. All my head of house had ever done was protect us, look out for us.

"It's bloody freezing," Ron stated, breaking the silence, "Can we at least go and argue inside where it's warm?"

I nodded, ignoring the accusing look Harry was giving me still and walking back towards the Great Hall without another word to either of them. The last thing I wanted to be talking about after everything that had happened tonight was my favourite Professor possibly being a Death Eater. As we walked back inside, I realised most people were heading out and the ball was starting to wind down, there was barely anyone left on the dancefloor. Harry and Ron both made a beeline back to the table, but I saw Hermione stop Ron harshly on their way past, Harry being wise enough to keep walking as fast as he could. I glanced to my left and saw Blaise and Madi standing just off to the side, Madi nudging Blaise gently when she spotted me, and he looked at me with wide eyes before they both walked cautiously over to me.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Blaise asked, looking a little worried.

I sighed, "No, Zabini. None of that was your fault."

He relaxed, before his features changed to a look of concern, "Are you and Weasley alright?"

"We will be," I managed a small smile, "I made much bigger mistakes than just dancing with Malfoy."

Madi placed a comforting hand on my arm, "You'll figure it out, don't worry. That boy adores you."

I grimaced, "I know, I think it's me that's the problem."

They looked like they wanted to say something else, exchanging a weighted look with each other, but I shook my head before they could.

"I should say goodbye to my dad and find Fred, I'll meet you guys back at the Common Room for the party, alright?"

They both visibly brightened, "So, you're still coming?" Blaise grinned.

"Absolutely," I snorted, "Either to try and have a good time and save this night, or if that doesn't work, drink away my problems."

Madi shrugged, "Seems reasonable."

They said their goodbyes, before leaving the room with their hands intertwined. I smiled softly after them, at least one couple seemed to have had a good night. I quickly scanned the few people left at the ball and headed towards Fred when I saw him standing talking quietly with George by one of the pillars. They saw me coming and George clapped his twin on the shoulder, giving me a small but reassuring smile as he walked off past me.

"Hi," I said quietly, "Pretty dead in here now, huh?"

Fred smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes fully, "Probably died as soon as we left, I am the life of the party after all."

"Definitely," I agreed quietly, reaching out and taking one of his hands, trying to stop the weird energy that was flowing between us.

"Are you okay?" he frowned, searching my face.

"I should be the one asking you that," I said back, taking a step closer to him, "I feel like I've ruined your whole night."

He shrugged, "It wasn't completely ruined," he gave my hand a small squeeze, "I still got to come with the prettiest girl as my date."

I smiled softly, "Any chance of coming to the after-party with your pretty date?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You're joking, right?"

My smile dropped, "You won't even consider it?"

He snorted, "Do you really think I would want to go, especially after what happened tonight?"

I let go of his hand, slightly stung by the harshness of his words, and I could feel that same tense energy from before rebuilding between us, almost like we'd never even stopped fighting in the first place.

"I thought you might do it for me."

"I can't believe you'd even ask me," he shook his head incredulously.

"Right, how stupid of me," I muttered bitterly, turning away from him.

"Hey," Fred grabbed my arm gently, pulling me back to face him, "Just come back to the tower and we can talk some more, alright?"

I scoffed, pulling my arm away, not being able to stop my anger from building, "That's the last place I want to go, Fred."

"Why?" he genuinely looked confused, and it only irritated me more that he really didn't understand.

"Because no one wants me in there!" I exclaimed, "I'm a Slytherin, and every time I go to that tower, I just know I don't belong, and I know people hate the fact that I'm there!"

Fred looked stung, "That isn't true…"

"It is," I replied firmly, "And you're daft to think it isn't."

His eyes flashed, and I couldn't work out if it was with hurt or anger, or maybe both, "Why have you never said anything to me before? Why didn't you tell me that's how you felt?"

I sagged a little, looking at him heavily, "Because I didn't want you to feel guilty, like it was your fault, because it's not."

"So, instead you lied to me?" he demanded.

"I didn't lie," I whispered, flinching a little even before I said it, "I just chose not to tell you."

"That's still a lie," he responded quietly.

We fell silent, the air between us still feeling fragile, broken. I finally let out a sigh, glancing towards the doors where I saw my father was standing, watching us, and then back at my boyfriend, who was looking at me for the first time like he didn't know what to say to me.

"Maybe we should just talk tomorrow."

He shook his head a little, like he couldn't quite believe what had happened, but nodded, "Sure. I'll…I'll just see you tomorrow."

He walked off without another word, slouched over with his hands in his pockets. I watched him go, not even paying attention when I heard Ron and Hermione yelling at each other as they stormed out as well. I leaned against the pillar, looking up at the enchanted roof and watching the snowflakes dance around. When had everything become so screwed up?

I jumped a little when I heard the scrape of a chair and saw my father settle into a chair to my left out of the corner of my eye, he didn't say anything, just watched me, waiting for me to say something.

"I've really messed this one up, haven't I?" I sighed finally, looking over at him.

He frowned slightly, shaking his head, "I don't think so."

"I try so hard to make everyone happy, and now it just feels like I failed."

He stood up, walking over and wrapping an arm around my shoulder to pull me close, "You being happy is the most important thing, kid. You can't spend all your time worrying about everyone else."

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" I murmured quietly.

"I do," he said sincerely, pulling away a little so he could look at me, "I think he'd forgive you for just about anything."

The weight of his statement wasn't lost on me, and I didn't respond, too busy thinking about how awful of a person I was for hurting Fred when all he ever did was care about me.

He let out another long sigh, "It's times like this I wish your mum was here, she always knew exactly what to say."

I moved from under his arm, looking at him with teary eyes, "You're doing just fine on your own, dad," I whispered. He smiled softly down at me, his own eyes glistening as he looked back at me, scanning me up and down me like he had when I'd first seen him earlier that night.

"When I saw you tonight...you look just like her, Cass."

My heart soared, a traitorous tear sliding down my cheek, "Really?"

He nodded, letting out a shaky breath, "More and more every day," he pulled me back into his chest, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"It's okay to be confused, you're a kid. Try not to worry about what you can't control and focus on what you can."

I nodded, relaxing as I breathed him in. It was rare for him to talk about mum, but I didn't blame him for it. I knew how hard it must be for him to think about her, and it was the moments like this I realised just how much of her I must have in me.

"I bet mum was never this confused about how she felt," I mumbled into his chest, and I was a little surprised when he laughed, pulling back to look at him quizzically.

"You'd be surprised," he responded, his eyes twinkling, looking around the room fondly like he was thinking of a specific memory.

"Are you still being careful?" he asked after a moment, turning serious again.

I nodded, "I am, I promise." I decided not to mention I was already fearing Avery's retribution for being tricked into dancing with Malfoy.

He smiled back, his face falling back into that same wistful look as he stared at me again.

"Dad!" I rolled my eyes a little, shifting a little uncomfortably, making him laugh and hold his hands up in mock surrender.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped short, his eyes widening as they landed on my neck and he noticed my new necklace for the first time.

"Where did you…"

"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not you sent it," I sighed, making him look at me with raised eyebrows.

"You don't know who sent it?"

I shook my head, "It's a Christmas mystery, there was no card or anything attached."

"Wow," he was still a little in shock, "Well, I think it's as good a replacement as any."

I smiled, not realising how worried I'd been that he would be angry that I'd replaced my mother's one so quickly, "You aren't mad?"

"Of course not," he responded incredulously, "I just wish we knew where it came from…"

I sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Come on," he tilted his head towards the door, and I took his arm as we headed out of the Great Hall. Remus and James were waiting just outside, both smiling softly when they saw us. I moved over to them, hugging them both and telling them I'd see them in February.

I hugged my dad extra tight, breathing him in as much as I could.

"It'll be alright," he murmured into my hair, "You'll see."

I nodded as we pulled away, giving them one last wave as I headed off. I didn't see Harry or the others in the entrance way so presumed they'd already gone and made my way towards the common room.

This night had not gone at all how I'd planned, and I had no idea where Fred and I stood right now. Still, I was excited to get back to the common room and just finally relax with my friends. My plan of action was to avoid Malfoy like the plague again, like I had been the last week anyway before he'd decided to ruin all my plans tonight. The worst part was I was still just as confused about our dance as I'd been before, sighing irritably to myself as I walked. I was definitely ready for some Firewhiskey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woow that was a lot! Take some time to recover if you need, then get ready because it only gets more complicated from here. Also apologies it was so damn long - I couldn't find a place that I thought worked to split it.


	9. Technicalities

By the time I made it back to the Slytherin Common Room, the after-party was in full swing. I quickly scanned the room, seeing Blaise and Madi with Lillian and Tracey over by the fireplace. As I headed their way I almost stopped from shock when I spotted Daphne practically in Montague's lap, the two of them snogging passionately. I re-scanned the room, it making much more sense to me when I realised with a grimace Theo and Parkinson were nowhere to be seen, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why that was.

"You saw, then?" Lillian asked as I reached them, nodding towards where I'd just walked past Daphne.

"How long did it take the other two to ditch?" I questioned, smiling gratefully at Blaise when he quickly deposited a drink in my hand.

"All of five minutes," Tracey snorted, "You know, I expected this from Pansy, but I honestly thought Nott had more respect for Daphne."

I sighed, looking over at Daphne again with a sad smile, "Denial will make you do funny things sometimes."

"Or disgusting things," Blaise smirked, and we all chuckled a little despite the situation.

"Did you talk to your boyfriend?" Madi asked, turning to me.

My face fell, "Kind of wish I hadn't," I responded sadly.

"That bad?" Blaise grimaced.

"I think I just made it worse," I muttered, and he and Madi both looked at me sympathetically.

"Well," Madi smirked, "I guess we're drinking our problems away then?"

"Cheers to that," I replied, tapping my cup against the two of theirs and then taking a massive gulp.

"We're going to be carrying you into the dorm tonight, aren't we?" Lillian teased with a smirk.

"That's the only way to do it," Blaise winked, raising his cup in the air as we all laughed.

"Salazars spit!" Tracey suddenly exclaimed, almost choking on her drink as she turned to look at me with wide eyes. "I just remembered you weren't here!"

I frowned in confusion as the other three seemed to catch on to what she was referring to, all their eyes going wide as well and then turning to me with wicked grins on their faces.

"Wasn't here for what?" I looked between them, a little scared.

"Malfoy dumped Avery - for good," Lillian grinned, and my mouth dropped open a little.

"You're joking?"

"It was spectacular," Blaise agreed, "In front of everyone and everything."

"I don't think he meant for it to be such a spectacle though," Tracey said, "I reckon she just lost her marbles at him."

I was lost for words. It didn't make any sense to me, why would Malfoy dump Gorgia when he'd already lost Parkinson to Nott? It was unheard of for him not to have at least one of them at his beck and call. The fact that I'd danced with him earlier was now making me even more nervous, if she knew about that and then he dumped her I doubted she would blame anyone else but me.

"Is she here still?" I looked around nervously.

"No," Madi scoffed, "She ran off to the dorms and hasn't emerged since."

"No bloody idea where Malfoy's gone either," Blaise looked around with a frown, and I sagged a little in relief.

"Probably prowling for new prey," Tracey snorted, she and Lillian bursting into giggles.

I downed the rest of my cup, still reeling from the news. I saw Blaise watching me out of the corner of my eye, scowling when he turned to whisper something to Madi that made her smirk knowingly in my direction. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood to deal with the two of them acting like they knew what I was feeling.

"I'm going to find a refill, I'll find you later," I said, walking off before any of them could get another word in.

I found my way to the drinks table, refilling my cup and taking another large sip as soon as I did.

"Take it easy," I turned in surprise when Theodore appeared next to me, eyeing me and my rapidly decreasing drink warily.

"Done with Parkinson already?" I snapped, the alcohol and all the emotions of the night starting to get the better of me. Theodore looked a little taken aback at my coldness, his eyes narrowing.

"That's none of your business."

"Hmm," I mused, pointedly looking over to where Daphne and Montague were still tangled up in each other, smirking in triumph when Theo followed my gaze and his whole body tensed up in anger, letting out a small growl and clenching his fists, looking like he would happily beat the shit out of Montague.

"It's none of your business, right?" I quipped, and he turned back to me, glowering fiercely. I merely raised my eyebrows in challenge, and he let out another frustrated growl before he stormed off. I rolled my eyes, deciding I needed some air, the room was starting to become suffocating.

I stepped out of the portrait, taking another sip of my drink and walking a little way down the corridor, intent on getting as far away from that party as possible. I was stumbling a little as I walked, probably due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed in such a short time.

"How much have you had to drink tonight?"

I gasped, almost jumping out of my skin when I suddenly noticed Malfoy leaning against the wall just in front of me, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"What the fuck Malfoy!" I exclaimed, trying to regain my breath, "Do you often lurk in dark hallways?"

"Occasionally," he shot back, pushing off the wall. "How much have you had to drink tonight?" he repeated.

"Why is that any of your business?"

He rolled his eyes, "You can't even stand up straight."

"I'm standing up straight," I defended stubbornly, before my eyes widened as I suddenly felt myself tipping sideways. Malfoy quickly moved towards me, gripping my arms and pulling me back upright.

"For fucks sake, Black. Pull yourself together," he snapped, releasing me and stepping back like I'd burned him.

I glared, "I came out here for some peace and quiet, not to be chastised. Especially by you."

"I was here first," he shot back childishly, and I snorted.

We fell silent, and he leaned back against the wall once more, staring straight ahead. I was really feeling the effects of the Firewhiskey now, and I cursed my tiny body weight as I studied the blonde in front of me. I wondered if him hiding out here had anything to do with what had gone down between him and Gorgia, I know I wouldn't want to be around anyone after such a public spectacle.

"You know it's rude to stare," he drawled, startling me a little when he suddenly looked back at me. His eyes met mine for a brief moment, but I looked away quickly when I felt my cheeks growing hot. Blaming it on the alcohol, I walked closer to him and held the cup out.

"Here take it, you probably need it more than me."

He looked skeptical for a moment, like he was deciding whether I was attempting to poison him before he took it from my grasp.

Despite my better judgement, I moved to lean on the wall next to him. It was justified, I was tired, and apparently a little tipsy so technically was having a hard time standing up straight anyway. He looked a little surprised, watching me from the corner of his eye as he took a sip from the cup I'd handed him.

"I suppose you're pretty happy with yourself," I blurted out, and he looked at me questioningly, "Fred and I had a massive fight, but I'm guessing that's exactly what you wanted," I said bitterly, glaring at the floor in front of me.

"Didn't realise Weasley was so possessive," Malfoy replied drily, tapping his finger against the side of the cup.

"Please," I rolled my eyes, "You knew exactly what you were doing."

He let out an irritated sigh, "I didn't care about your boyfriend's reaction at all, actually."

I turned to him incredulously, the alcohol in my system making me much more confident than I usually was, "Do you really expect me to believe you actually just wanted to dance with me?"

He pushed off the wall, tossing the now empty cup to the side and turned back to face me, arms crossed, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Why would you?" I fired back harshly.

He studied me for a moment, and I fidgeted under the intensity of his gaze. His eyes moved to rest on the necklace on my neck, and I subconsciously reached up to touch it as he did, causing him to slowly look back up at me.

"I see you liked my gift then."

My mouth dropped open. There was no way - there was absolutely no way.

"You…" I breathed, my hand dropping to hang lamely by my side as I stared at him in shock, "You got me this?"

Malfoy nodded, watching me carefully.

"Why?" I demanded, annoyed at the slight tremor in my voice.

"Because," he said, "It was my fault that Avery did it in the first place, so I owed you. And I don't like owing anyone anything."

I sucked in a breath, so he did know why Avery had attacked me. What he'd said when we were dancing at the ball came back to me - he only went with her because it would have been pathetic to go alone, and then he'd dumped her as soon as the ball was over. Had he been planning on doing it since she'd attacked me? Why would I have anything to do with him and Avery being over?

"A thank you would be nice," he scowled when I didn't reply, and I glared at him.

"I'm not daft, Malfoy. You never do anything unless there's something in it for you."

He shrugged, "You can believe what you want, Black. That doesn't change the fact that you obviously like it, otherwise you would have incinerated it the minute you found out it was from me."

He was right, the moment I had opened it I had loved it, and now that I was used to having it around my neck again I couldn't imagine ever taking it off, even if everything in me was screaming it was a terrible idea to keep it. What if everyone found out that he was the one who gave it to me? I didn't even want to think about the damage that could cause.

"Stop overthinking it," he snapped, breaking my thoughts, "You're going to drive yourself mad one day doing that."

"I have to overthink it," I retorted, "Did you really expect me to just say thank you and leave it at that? You're not a generous person, Malfoy. It's like I said, I've never seen you do anything without wanting something in return."

His smirk dropped once more, and my heart began to race when he took a few steps closer to me so he was standing right in front of me, his eyes flickering in satisfaction when I leaned back against the wall to try and put some space between us.

"You aren't ready to admit what I want in return yet," he said quietly, his grey eyes locked on mine. I drew in a breath at his words, searching his eyes and noticing instead of the usual cold grey there was something else flickering behind them, something more… vulnerable?

"What the hell does that mean?" I managed to get out.

He smirked again, straightening up and stepping back.

"You'll figure it out."

And then he was gone, striding down the hall back towards the Common Room, leaving me watching him with no idea what the hell had just happened.

* * *

We all got up late the next day. I'd gone to bed after Malfoy's strange admission, but I'd heard the rest of the girls stumble to bed in the early hours of the morning. The Common Room was practically empty by the time I came out, most people choosing to stay in bed or probably in the Great Hall eating as much greasy food as possible. The girls were all still asleep, so I decided to head to the kitchens for food, I wasn't quite ready to risk going to the Great Hall yet. I had no idea what I was going to say to Fred, it was bad enough we'd had a fight and now I had to decide whether to tell him that Malfoy had been the one to buy me the necklace too.

I tickled the pear on the portrait, grinning when I stepped into the kitchens and the smell of food hit me.

"Missus Cassie!"

I turned when I heard the excited squeak, seeing Dobby running across the bench towards me.

"Hi Dobby, Merry Christmas!" I smiled warmly.

"Merry Christmas missus!" Dobby beamed back, "It has been too long since Dobby has seen missus!"

Hermione had been the one to discover Dobby had come to work at Hogwarts, when she'd come into the kitchens to try and convince the elves they should want to be liberated. So far it wasn't working very well, Dobby seemed to be the only elf who had any interest in being free or wanting to be paid for his work.

"Sorry, Dobby. There's a lot going on this year," I apologised.

Dobby shook his head vigorously, "Dobby understands missus! Dobby is very worried for Harry Potter."

I sighed, "Me too."

"Does the missus want any foods?" he perked up, almost like he'd read my mind before grabbing my hand and dragging me down the kitchen. All the house-elves we passed either bowed or ducked as they saw me, most of them shoving plates and snacks towards me. I gratefully accepted a plate of pancakes from Dobby, before promising him I would come back soon and heading out of the kitchens once more.

I spent the last few days of winter break doing all the homework I'd previously neglected, and skillfully avoiding any chance of running into Fred, and any chance of a one-on-one interaction with Malfoy. By the time the first day of classes rolled around I still hadn't spoken to my boyfriend since the ball, which I knew was bad, but I still had no idea what I was going to say to him.

"You really need to stop being such a child," Madi chastised as we walked down to Care of Magical Creatures through the thick layer of snow still covering the grounds.

"Seriously," Blaise agreed, "I thought you were being childish earlier in the year, but this is a whole new level."

"Do you even remember what your supposed boyfriend looks like?"

"Alright," I growled, looking between the two of them, "I get it."

"Ugh!" Daphne exclaimed from behind us as she almost skidded on some ice, "This class should be banned in winter!"

"This class should be banned full stop," Tracey muttered.

"Oh, I don't know," Malfoy said cheerily, turning around from where he and Theodore were walking in front of us, "I think you'll find today's class much more interesting than usual."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, he looked far too pleased for my liking, "What the hell does that mean, Malfoy?"

He simply smirked smugly, turning back to Theodore without any further comment.

"Didn't you read the paper today?" Daphne questioned, and I shook my head.

"How could she?" Lillian snickered, "She didn't come to breakfast again, remember?"

We made it down to Hagrid's cabin before I could retort, and I jumped as Harry, Ron and Hermione appeared in front of me almost instantly, all three of them glaring at me haughtily.

"I've been trying to find you for days!" Harry frowned.

"Sorry," I shrugged, avoiding meeting his eyes, "I had all of my homework to do these last few days, I've been trapped in the Common Room trying to finish it all."

"Right," he said sarcastically, staring at me knowingly.

"You've been a real git, you know that?" I turned to Ron in slight surprise at his sharp tone, "Fred's been out of his mind, how could you just ignore him like that?"

"It's actually none of your business, Ronald," I hissed, narrowing my eyes.

Ron looked like he wanted to retort, but Harry elbowed him in the ribs in warning, before he turned to me with a little shrug.

"He is right though, you know."

"Alright, all of you hurry up!"

I turned in surprise when I heard a voice that was definitely not Hagrid's, seeing an elderly woman standing at Hagrid's door instead of my giant friend. Any plans I'd had of yelling at Harry and Ron immediately vanished, replaced with confusion at who the hell this woman was.

"Who're you?" Ron echoed my thoughts, "Where's Hagrid?"

I could hear Malfoy and a few others sniggering behind me as we trudged through the snow, my earlier suspicion returning.

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank, I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated.

"Indisposed."

The sniggers grew, and I turned to glare sharply at Malfoy, who raised an eyebrow tauntingly at me in response.

"This is why you should come to breakfast," Madi muttered to me as we reached the paddock holding the large Beauxbatons horses.

I could hear Harry still questioning Grubbly-Plank, who seemed to be ignoring him for the most part. I suddenly heard awed gasps from the girls in the class, and raised an eyebrow when I noticed we'd stopped just near the edge of the paddock, and a unicorn was tethered to the fence.

"Boys stay back! They prefer the woman's touch, girls move forward, careful now!" Professor Grubbly-Plank instructed, and the girls in the class didn't hesitate to rush forward as fast as they could, even my fellow Slytherins who usually would never show any kind of interest in this class. I hung back, quickly striding over to Harry and Ron.

"Do you think Hagrid's alright?" I whispered.

"Maybe a Skrewt finally got him," Harry mused, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Oh, he hasn't been attacked, Potter."

We all turned to see Malfoy smirking smugly at us, and I fixed him with a sharp glare.

"He's probably just too ashamed to show his ugly face."

"What are you on about, Malfoy?" Harry said sharply.

Malfoy made a big show of pulling a folded page of what I presumed was this morning's Prophet out of his pocket, and I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his dramatics. I snatched it out of his hands, ignoring the affronted look he gave me for doing so and turned back to Harry and Ron.

Seamus, Dean and Neville all came to hover over my shoulder as we started reading.

_DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE_

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments,_ writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of Gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates. An alarming large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his new-found authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening." "I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything." Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however._

 _Weeks ago, I reported Hagrid had illegally bred a new species. And now, as if this were not enough, the_ Daily Prophet _has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not - as he has always pretended - a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature. In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power - thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of the Death Eaters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of this unpleasant truth about his large friend - but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with half-giants._

"How the bloody hell did she find out?!" Ron whispered to Harry harshly, and I frowned in confusion. Neither of them had ever said anything about knowing Hagrid was half-giant to me. Harry didn't seem to even hear Ron, turning to glare at Malfoy once again.

"What do you mean, 'we all hate Hagrid'?!" he spat, "And Crabbe getting bitten by a flobberworm is rubbish and you know it!"

"They haven't even got teeth," I agreed, my eyes narrowing as Crabbe himself started sniggering, evidently very pleased with himself.

"No matter," Malfoy shrugged, "I gather this will put an end to the oaf's teaching career, no parents will want their children taught by a vicious half-giant."

"You-" Harry started to snarl, practically shaking in anger.

"Are you paying attention over there?" Professor Grubbly-Plank's sharp voice cut him off, and I yanked him around to face the front again to prevent him from getting himself into trouble, shooting Malfoy one more disappointed glare as I did so. Any nice feelings I'd had from him giving me the necklace had all but vanished, this was just a reminder of what a git he was.

"That was the best lesson we've ever had," Daphne sighed dreamily as we trudged up to lunch an hour later.

"Just because you're easily pleased by anything shiny, Greengrass," I snapped, still furious about Hagrid.

"You're just bitter because your oaf of a friend got exposed for the fraud he is," Daphne stuck her nose up, glaring at me slightly, which I returned easily at her words.

"Don't mind her Daph, she's been grumpy all week," Madi sniggered, most of my friends joining in. Maybe I had been a lot snappier than usual the last few days, but how could they blame me? It wasn't like I'd been having the most relaxing winter break.

We reached the Great Hall, and I stopped, planning on heading to the kitchens as usual, but Blaise let out a frustrated growl.

"That's it!" he exclaimed angrily, pulling me back, "I'm not letting you avoid this anymore, we're all sick of dealing with your attitude."

"Don't you dare Zabini!" I warned, fixing him with my most threatening of stares, but the bastard didn't waver.

"You can't keep avoiding your problems, CB," Lillian agreed, watching in amusement as I continued to try and struggle against Blaise to no avail.

"I can and I will!"

"Oh, grow up." Theodore snarled, grabbing my other arm roughly and helping Blaise drag me into the hall. I glowered at him, the two of us had been cold with each ever since the Yule Ball after-party, he was still angry at me for how I'd acted about Daphne and Montague, and I was still angry with him for Pansy.

"Stop being so embarrassing!" Malfoy hissed as they dragged me the whole way to the Slytherin table, sitting either side of me to trap me in. Everyone settled in around us, the girls all giggling at my expense and Malfoy looking like he wanted to hex all three of us. Part of me wished he would, then maybe I wouldn't have to stay.

"I feel violated," I stated bluntly, looking between the two boys sitting either side of me, who looked smug as they started to pile food onto their plates.

"We do it out of love," Blaise responded.

"I really don't understand why you've avoided him for this long, the fight wasn't even that bad," Madi stated, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. She had been quizzing me all week about it, I knew she suspected there was something else going on.

I looked at Malfoy out of the corner of my eye, who was pointedly ignoring our conversation. Maybe I would have talked to Fred sooner if I hadn't been so thrown off by the fact he'd been the one to buy me the necklace, and why he'd said he'd done it in the first place.

"Weasley twin incoming," Tracey suddenly said, and I was startled a little when I realised it was George - not Fred - striding purposely towards the table.

"Looks like you're getting told off by both brothers today," Blaise sniggered, then winced when I elbowed him hard in the side before standing up and meeting George just before he reached the table.

He stared down at me, arms crossed, but he didn't look as angry as I thought he might - just a little concerned.

"I know," I mumbled, "I'm awful."

"I think both of you are being idiots," George stated, "But yes, hiding for days probably wasn't the smartest thing for you to do."

I sighed, my eyes flicking over to the Gryffindor table and frowning when I realised Fred wasn't actually there.

"Where is he?"

George's lips curled up into an almost smile, "Where do you reckon?"

It hit me instantly, and I squeezed George's arm lightly in thanks before I raced out of the hall. I went as fast as my legs would carry me, almost taking the steps two at a time before I finally reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, gasping to catch my breath. Fred turned, raising his eyebrows as he watched me trying to regain the ability to speak. His eyes were guarded, and he was clearly waiting for me to speak first. It was like all my confusion vanished as soon as I saw him, and all I wanted was for him to forgive me, for us to be okay again.

"I'm sorry," I breathed out, walking towards him hesitantly, "I have been the world's worst girlfriend."

He didn't respond, continuing to stare at me passively.

"You were right that night, I pushed you aside way too much and didn't treat you like my priority. I am scared of letting people in, and sometimes when I see how much you care about me it terrifies me - so I try and push you away, but that isn't fair on you at all, I know that. And I should have told you how I felt about going to the tower before, but I was just so scared you would take it the wrong way. But I meant what I said Fred, you are my priority - and I really, really, want this to work. So, please don't give up on me just yet…"

My heart was racing by the end of my little speech, partly from the anxiety I was feeling and probably partly from the mini marathon I had just run. His face had softened a little, but I could tell he still had his guard up. My heart ached from realising how much he'd probably been hurting these last few days.

"You haven't apologised for ghosting me yet," he finally said, and I bit back a smile when I heard the teasing lilt to his voice.

"Right," I whispered, moving closer to him hesitantly, "I'm especially sorry for being an immature little cow ever since."

He snorted back a laugh, reaching one arm out to rest his hand on my hip, holding my gaze, "I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice hoarse.

I shook my head, reaching up to brush some hair off his face, "I was more worried I'd lost you…"

He finally wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me in close, "Never gonna happen."

"I mean it," I whispered, the relief flooding over me as he held me tightly, "I really am so, so, sorry. I'll spend as long as it takes making it up to you."

His lips quirked into a mischievous smirk, "I have a few ideas how you could start…"

I giggled, threading my hands into his hair as he started walking me backwards until my back hit the wall, "Do you, now?"

"Mhm," he mused, dipping his head and starting to trail kisses along my neck. I gave his hair a little tug after a few moments, finally meeting his lips in a kiss. I let myself get lost for a while, tangling my hands in his hair and showing him with my kisses just how sorry I was before I reluctantly pulled back.

"Are you sure we're okay?" I breathed, stroking my thumb over his cheek and searching his face for any kind of hesitation.

He chuckled, brushing his nose against mine softly, "I promise."

I frowned slightly, how was it so easy for him to forgive me? Would he be so quick to let it go if I told him about Malfoy?

Almost like he'd read my mind, he suddenly picked up the necklace gently, "Did you get a chance to ask your Dad about this?"

I stared down at where his hand was still fiddling with it, my heart pounding in my chest. I had just gotten him to forgive me, the last thing I wanted was to go back to fighting with him.

"Yeah," I breathed, the guilt seeping through me instantly, "It was him, he assumed I would know it was from him, that's why he didn't put a card with it." The lie fell from my lips so easily, but it was hard to feel too bad about it when Fred looked slightly relieved, like he'd almost suspected who had actually given it to me.

Sometimes it was just easier to hide the truth, especially if it stopped people I cared about getting hurt.

At least that's what I keep telling myself.

* * *

By the time the next Hogsmeade trip rolled around two weeks after Christmas break, Hagrid still hadn't returned to classes. The three Gryffindors had been telling me how often they'd tried to see our friend, but he kept turning them away. The Slytherins were thrilled, and Malfoy took every chance he could to mock Harry about it. I'd barely had any conversations with him since Christmas, mostly as I tended to avoid him as much as possible. But it was getting harder for me to not think about his cryptic words - and what they meant.

"I just thought you'd want to use this time to work on your egg," Hermione was saying as the four of us walked towards Hogsmeade village.

"Oh," Harry fidgeted a little - and I could immediately tell whatever he was about to spin to Hermione was a lie - "I reckon I've got it almost figured out now…"

I had to hold back a scoff, and he shot me a sidelong warning look. Hermione, however, seemed to believe him because she immediately brightened up, looking almost proud of him. Gryffindors were far too bloody gullible.

We made it to The Three Broomsticks, scanning the always crowded pub for a sign of a free table.

"Why is he bloody everywhere?" Ron suddenly frowned, and we followed his gaze to see Ludo Bagman sitting at a table in the corner, chatting quite urgently with some angry looking goblins. He glanced up and noticed Harry, standing up and shooing the goblins away before rushing towards us purposely.

"Harry! Been hoping to run into you, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry responded.

"Wonder if we could have a word... in private?" Bagman's eyes flicked between me, Ron and Hermione. I exchanged a look with Harry, who gave me a small nod of assurance before I gestured to the other two to leave them be.

"What d'you reckon that's about then?" Ron said, still watching them as we managed to find a table.

"Probably nothing good," Hermione frowned, "There's something off about that man, Viktor says he doesn't think he's very honest."

"Viktor said that, did he?" Ron mumbled bitterly, and Hermione flushed red while I rolled my eyes. Hermione had barely mentioned the Bulgarian Seeker since Christmas - mostly to save Ron's ego - but I knew they'd still been spending quite a lot of time together.

I sipped my Butterbeer, watching Harry and Bagman's odd exchange, before Fred and George suddenly appeared and interrupted their conversation. Within seconds, Bagman was exiting the pub, the goblins all following out after him, and Harry and the twins headed over to our table.

"What did he want?" I asked instantly.

"He offered to help me, y'know with the egg."

Hermione looked personally offended, "He can't be doing that! Viktor was right - there's something off about that man!" she hissed, and I had to hold back a giggle when Ron's face went instantly red at the mention of Krum's name again.

"What was with the goblin army?" Fred asked, draping his arm over the back of my chair lazily.

"They're looking for Mr Crouch," Harry said, "Apparently he's still ill, hasn't been to work in weeks. That's what your brother was telling me at the ball." The three Weasley's all grimaced at the mention of Percy, his name was as forbidden as You-Know-Who's in their house these days.

"Maybe he's poisoning him," Ron commented drily. The twins both snorted in laughter, but Hermione looked less amused. I gazed over at Harry, who was staring at his Butterbeer deep in thought and frowned in concern. I knew he was no closer to figuring out his egg, and the task was only five weeks away.

"Oh no," Hermione suddenly grimaced, and we turned to see Rita Skeeter striding into The Three Broomsticks, armed with her camera man and quill as usual. Harry immediately tensed up, glaring fiercely at her as she started bustling around.

"...didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he?"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry said loudly, and I groaned inwardly. Why did he always have to be a bloody hero?

"Harry!" Skeeter seemed thrilled to have found him, starting to make her way towards us, "How about another interview?"

"No thanks, I don't really like talking to people who trash talk my friends."

"I can't decide if this is terrible, or terrific..." George murmured, Fred nodding in agreement as I watched the confrontation growing in front of me.

Skeeter pushed her bedazzled spectacles up her nose, "It is my job to report the truth Harry."

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" I jumped at his sudden loudness, becoming increasingly aware of how quiet the entire pub had gone, "There's nothing wrong with him!"

"Harry," I hissed warningly, "Just leave it!"

He ignored me, continuing to glare daggers at the reporter, who's lips merely quirked into a smile. Harry was giving her exactly what she wanted, more ammunition for a story.

"Why not give me an interview about the Hagrid you know?"

Hermione stood up abruptly, "You horrible woman!" I gaped at her, a little shocked at her gall, "You don't care about anything do you, anything for a story!"

"Sit down, you silly little girl," Skeeter hissed, looking at her like she was dirt on the bottom of her high heel, "Don't talk about things you don't understand!"

Ron stood up then, Harry following his lead as they both glared viciously at her, "Let's just go, c'mon," Ron muttered, tugging Hermione up as well before the three of them stormed out, the whole pub watching them as they went. Rita Skeeter merely let out an affronted 'hmph', before she stalked out as well and everyone seemed to go back to their business.

"She'll go after Hermione now," Fred sighed, and I nodded solemnly in agreement. It was never a good idea to piss off Rita Skeeter, she always managed to be able to dig up something bad about anyone who dared to cross her.

"How is Harry going with the egg anyway?" George turned to me, and I rolled my eyes a little.

"He's being Harry, he'll leave it to the last minute and then somehow miraculously survive anyway."

They both laughed, "What d'you reckon this task will be anyway?" Fred mused, "I mean, how do you beat a dragon?"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be dangerous," I sighed, I spent most of my time these days worrying about Harry and I had a feeling it was only going to get worse. Fred ran his fingers up and down my arm lightly, and I smiled at him softly for the comforting gesture.

We turned as the door opened again, and I immediately fixed a glare on Gorgia Avery as she came sauntering in – followed by the Carrow twins. She glared right back at me, only turning away once she was settled in a booth near the back.

"Are you sure you don't want us to slip something into her dinner?" George said coldly, pulling my attention back to the twins – who were also glaring coldly at the brunette.

I shook my head, "No, don't worry. I'll get her eventually."

"Any ideas yet?" Fred raised an eyebrow.

"No," I sighed, "But don't fret boys, when I do finally get her back, I promise it'll worth the wait."

"That's our girl," they chorused in unison, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I spent the rest of the day in Hogsmeade with the twins, well and truly exhausted by the time I made it back to the Common Room that night. I spotted Blaise and Madi lounging on the couches, and immediately headed their way - throwing myself on top of Blaise dramatically.

"Get off me you troll!" he grumbled angrily, shoving me off easily and glaring when all I did was laugh in response.

"Does that ever bother you?" Parkinson asked Madi snootily from where she was snuggled into Theodore's side on the couch diagonal to us. Nott was engrossed in the book he was reading, ignoring all of us.

Madi rolled her eyes, "Does what bother me, Parkinson?"

"Black whoring herself all over Zabini," she glanced at me snidely, "Obviously."

Madi had to snort to hold in her laughter, while Blaise just looked disgusted at the insinuation.

"Funny you using the term whore, don't you think Parkinson?" I raised an eyebrow, flicking my eyes between her and Theodore meaningfully.

"How dare you!" Parkinson leaned forwards, her eyes blazing as Blaise and Madi tried their best to stop their sniggers. Theodore had other ideas, closing his book and putting a hand on her arm to calm her down.

"Don't, she's trying to get a rise out of you," he glared coldly at me, before tugging Parkinson up. The two of them exited the room, Pansy glaring viciously at me the whole time while I watched them with cold indifference.

"What is going on with you and Nott?" Blaise asked after they'd gone, looking at me questioningly.

"He's just mad at me for pointing out what a hypocrite he is," I responded stubbornly.

"You should just leave it alone," Madi sighed, "It's none of our business."

My gaze moved over to where Daphne was sitting with Montague, giggling away as she usually did when she was around him. Maybe they were right, if Daphne and Theodore wanted to pretend to be happy with other people, that was their choice. It wasn't like I didn't understand, I remember how scared I'd been of my feelings for Fred at first.

We turned as the door to the Common Room opened again, and Lillian and Tracey climbed in - joining us as soon as they noticed us.

"How did your gift hunting go?" Madi asked with an amused smile, seeing how utterly exhausted the two of them looked. Tracey had been stressing over finding her older sister the perfect birthday present for days and had planned to find something today. From her reaction to Madi's statement, I guessed she hadn't been successful.

"I don't even want to think about it," she groaned, slumping into the cushions of the chair in defeat.

"Surely it can't be that difficult," Blaise scoffed, the four of us exchanging a withering look at his ignorance.

"You don't understand," Tracey exclaimed, "She always gets me the perfect gift! And just once I want to one-up her…"

Lillian snorted, "So it isn't even about getting her a nice gift? You just want to bloody win!"

We all laughed as Tracey shrugged, not looking the least bit bothered.

"Maybe you should ask your dad where he got your necklace," Madi nodded towards me, and I immediately stiffened.

Tracey sat up eagerly, her eyes wide, "Can you?! Something like that would be perfect!"

"Um," I stammered, trying not to go red as they all looked at me in slight confusion at my hesitation. After I'd told Fred he had been the one to give it to me, I figured it only made sense to tell everyone the same thing.

"Yeah," I finally said, forcing a smile Tracey's way, "I'll send him a letter."

Tracey grinned at me gratefully, the four of them falling back into conversation. I zoned out, staring into the fire flickering not far from us. I wasn't normally a liar, and this little white lie that had started to protect my boyfriend's feelings was suddenly spiralling into something much bigger. I bristled, looking up only to be met with steeled grey eyes. Malfoy was sitting at one of the chess tables - and from the way he was looking at me I knew he'd heard the whole conversation.

* * *

"I need to talk to you!"

I was a little surprised when Harry raced to catch up with me on the way out of Defence on Thursday, but I stopped when I heard the urgency in his tone, waving to the others that I'd catch up. They all made sure to give Harry dirty looks as they went, Malfoy making a show of flashing his stupid badge as he did so.

"Ignore them," I muttered, pulling him to face me when he continued to glare after the group of them with clenched fists. The last thing he needed was to get into a pointless fight, he had enough on his mind.

He let out an irritated sigh, before quickly scanning the hallways to make sure no one else was around and turning to me looking much more serious.

"I need to borrow the map," he said quietly.

I raised an eyebrow, "What for?"

"Cedric gave me a hint about the egg, but I need to sneak into the prefect's bathroom."

I nodded in understanding, "And it would be a lot easier if you had the map."

He hesitated, "Do you reckon I could keep the cloak too?" I mustn't have looked too pleased at this because he quickly put on his begging face, "Please? I don't want to risk getting caught!"

I sighed, "Fine, I'll bring it to dinner tonight." He smiled at me gratefully, and I held up a finger in warning, "But I want it back first thing tomorrow morning!"

"I promise," he nodded quickly, the two of us starting to head back in the direction of our Common Rooms, "You're a lifesaver."

"As always!" I called over my shoulder as we went in our separate directions, not even having to turn around to know he was rolling his eyes.

"What did Potter want?" Daphne queried when I made it into our dorm, and I shrugged nonchalantly in response.

"Just tournament stuff."

Lillian let out an amused snort, "Has he not figured that egg out yet?"

"I heard Diggory's known for weeks," Daphne said snootily.

"Good for him. Harry's doing just fine as well, but thanks for your concern," I snapped, opening my trunk.

They seemingly realised I wasn't in the mood to hear them trash talk Harry, and turned back to whatever conversation they'd been having before I came in. I glanced between them all subtly to make sure they couldn't see what I was doing before stealthily slipping the shrunken parchment into my robe pocket. I closed my trunk and stood up again, noticing Madi watching me knowingly from the corner of her eye and sending a small wink her way. She and Blaise were the only two who knew about the Marauders Map, and I wanted to keep it that way. I could only imagine the carnage my group of Slytherins would cause if they had something like it in their grasp.

After about an hour we all headed down to dinner, and I went straight for the Gryffindor table and slid in next to Harry.

"You're the best," he grinned as I subtly slipped him the map, which he quickly re-pocketed in his own robes.

"I mean it Potter, first thing tomorrow! You can't have both for too long, one man shouldn't hold that much power," I said warningly, and he nodded - adding a mock salute for dramatic effect.

"What are you two whispering about?" Hermione asked, looking between us suspiciously.

"Nothing," I said breezily, "Just discussing how well Harry's going with his egg," Harry shot me a warning look, but I simply shrugged innocently. He'd made his own bed by lying to Hermione about his progress, he could lay in it.

"Did you hear we convinced Hagrid to come back?" Ron asked.

"Thank Merlin," I sighed in relief, "I was getting worried."

"I still think Professor Grubbly-Plank was a great teacher," Hermione said indignantly, and we all glared at her, "I love Hagrid though, obviously!" she added hurriedly, fidgeting awkwardly.

I started to notice the growing number of glares on me from around the table and let out a sigh, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Harry looked at me in confusion, oblivious as usual.

"To eat dinner," I shrugged, he looked like he wanted to argue but I didn't give him the chance, giving them all one last smile before making my way back to the Slytherin table and sitting down next to Daphne.

"More tournament business?" she asked casually, looking at me in suspicion.

"He needs all the help he can get," I smirked, which seemed to appease her as she didn't question me any further – turning back to her conversation with Montague.

"Is it true Hagrid is actually considering showing his face again, Black?" I was a little taken-aback as Gorgia's snooty voice floated down the table, surprisingly she'd barely said two words to me since the ball. I'd just figured she'd realised she lost Malfoy anyway so hurting me wouldn't benefit her at all. Even I had to admit that was probably a little naïve though, she was more likely just biding her time waiting to make my life miserable again.

"He has every right to," I snapped back, "It's his job."

"For now," she giggled, and I rolled my eyes, electing to go back to ignoring her existence.

"What did Potter want your map for?" Madi asked me in a low voice a few minutes later.

"Needs to sneak out tonight to figure out his clue," I ducked my head down to avoid anyone else hearing us, "Diggory gave him a hint, it has something to do with the prefect's bathroom."

Madi frowned quizzically, "That's a bit random, do you think Diggory is just trying to throw him off?"

I shrugged, "Who knows? But Harry did help him out with the dragons, it would make sense for him to return the favor."

She snorted, "Very noble."

I laughed, "And brave."

We both giggled at the two of them being so on-par with their house traits. I could never imagine a Slytherin helping the way the two of them seemed to, it was self-preservation always. Calculated and clever as we all usually say.

"What is it with you and your secret conversations?" we looked up at Malfoy's question, noticing him looking at us with an annoyed expression.

"Not everything involves you, Malfoy," I responded, "As hard as that may be for you to believe."

"Why do you care so much what secrets she has?" Madi challenged, her eyebrows raised.

He glared at her coldly, but my best friend didn't seem phased, only growing smugger at his reaction.

"Just seems like she has a lot of them," he shot back, staring at me pointedly, and my eyes immediately widened. I knew exactly what secret he was referring to.

Blaise let out a sudden snort, "Cass has the least secrets out of anyone I know. So I find that hard to believe, mate."

Malfoy simply smirked, satisfied enough to go back to his dinner while I tried my best not to look as flustered as I felt. Madi was watching me curiously, and I pointedly avoided her gaze. Blaise's comment hadn't made me feel any better about the web of lies that was slowly becoming my life. He was right, I was usually never one for secrets, and now I didn't even know who I was trying to protect by keeping them anymore.


	10. The Second Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we go againnnn! Time for the Second Task! I hope you guys enjoy this one - there's a lot that goes on in here. Just also want to give a shout out to you guys who are reviewing, it literally makes my day when I hear that you are all loving this as much as I have loved writing it!

"Thank Merlin it's Friday." Tracey moaned at breakfast the next morning.

"Someone tell me how our only full days of classes are Monday and Friday?" Madi let out an irritated sigh, hurriedly copying a History of Magic essay that was due in first period.

"We have double Potions last today," Blaise pointed out. "That basically counts as free periods for us."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Maybe for you three," she pointed between Blaise, Malfoy and me. "Not all of us are Potions geniuses."

"Maybe not," Malfoy agreed with a smirk, "But Snape will still let you get away with not doing anything."

"There's a fine line and you know it," Theodore snorted with a roll of his eyes.

Malfoy simply shrugged, going back to his breakfast. A familiar noise suddenly carried down to us, and I looked up to see the owl's delivering the morning post. A black owl with ice blue eyes landed in front of me and I detached the letter from her collar happily, making sure to give her a scratch under the chin before she hooted in satisfaction and flew off. I opened the seal and started to read the familiar scrawl.

_Hey kid,_

_Hope everything is going okay with you. The Second Task is getting closer and while that makes me nervous for Harry it also means we get to see each other again soon. I'm hoping things have settled down on your end, but if they haven't and you haven't told me I'm going to have to have a stern fatherly word with you (which you know I hate). I was glad to hear you sorted things out with Fred, I told you everything would work itself out._

_Just one more thing I thought I'd mention, though I'm sure you already know. Moody owled here last night, he caught Harry out of bed - his eye can see through the cloak you know – and stopped him from being found out by Snape. Harry lent him the map, he was pretty impressed by it, which has left the three of us pretty chuffed over here. Anyway, I just thought maybe you should check in with Harry in case it was anything to do with the tournament._

_I miss you, kid. I'll see you soon._

_Love always,_

_Dad_

"Good lord, she looks like she's going to kill someone," Daphne's voice pulled me back to reality, and I looked up to see my group of friends looking at me with wide eyes.

I realised my hands were shaking, and I crumpled the letter up angrily, tossing it onto my empty plate.

"Has anyone ever seen her this angry?" Blaise remarked, looking between everyone at the table and then back at me in concern.

"Never," Tracey stated, "And I thought I'd seen her as angry as possible."

"What the bloody hell was in that letter?" Theodore said, evidently how mad he was at me was being trumped by his curiosity.

"I'm going to kill Harry Potter," I seethed.

There was a silence.

"I'm not the only one who just heard her say that, right?" Malfoy demanded, looking at me with an expression crossed between baffled and intrigued.

I ignored him, standing up abruptly and storming over to the Gryffindor table. The Golden Trio was nowhere to be seen, but the rest of Harry's dorm was happily enjoying their breakfast.

"Where's Harry?" I demanded. Neville practically jumped out of his seat, and Dean and Seamus stared at me in slight terror.

"H-he and Ron were running late," Seamus stammered, "They're probably on their way down?"

I whirled around without another word, vaguely hearing someone calling my name as I stalked out of the Great Hall. How dare he. That map was given to me, it was mine and he had no right to go giving it away. I had always been generous in sharing it with him, especially this time when I didn't even ask for the cloak in return like usual.

"What exactly did Potter do?" Blaise questioned as he, Theodore and Malfoy rushed to keep up with me. I hadn't even realised they'd followed me out, and I didn't even care enough right now to wonder why Malfoy was with them. Just as we rounded the first corner – I spotted Ron and Harry heading towards us.

"HARRY POTTER!" I screeched, and he immediately froze in fear.

"She's so tiny," Theodore breathed; eyes wide. "How does she have so much power?"

"I would not be making any kind of short jokes right now unless you have a death wish," Blaise muttered. I ignored both of them as we reached the two fearful looking Gryffindors, stopping right in front of my godbrother and fixing him with my most vicious glare.

"Do you have anything you want to tell me?" I hissed, and Harry's eyes widened.

"How did you find out already?"

I screamed in frustration, "That's all you have to say!?"

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" he said meaningfully, looking accusingly at the three Slytherins over my shoulder.

"You had no right to give that to him Harry," I continued, ignoring the warning look he was giving me for daring to discuss it in front of them, but I didn't care. I was far too angry to care who heard us.

"What was I meant to do?" he finally gave up on moving our conversation elsewhere, "He asked for it and he'd just saved my ass from Snape!"

"You say no!" I exclaimed angrily, and he jumped a little at my tone, "It wasn't yours to give away!"

Harry let out an exasperated sigh, "Both of our dad's made it, Cass. I have just as much of a right to it as you do!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, "They decided to give it to me," my voice had gone dangerously low, and I could see Blaise and Theodore exchange a wary look from the corner of my eye when they heard it, "Because you got the-" I stopped myself, remembering who was standing behind me. "You know what I mean."

He looked at me carefully for a moment, "I think you're overreacting."

"The bottom line is you made me a promise, Harry," I snapped, "And you've broken it."

"Well what am I supposed to do about it?" he sighed in frustration, looking just as irritated as I did now. Ron was staring coldly at the three boys still gathered behind me, who I'd noticed had moved a little closer to me during our exchange.

"Get it back."

His eyes practically boggled out of his head, "You're joking, right? How the bloody hell am I supposed to do that?"

"That's not my problem," I rolled my eyes, before fixing a cold smirk on my face, "And if not, maybe I'll just take something of yours in exchange."

His eyes narrowed, knowing exactly what item of his I was referring to, "That's not fair."

"Actually," I was surprised when Blaise piped up, staring at Harry coldly. "I think that sounds perfectly fair."

"This has nothing to do with you." Harry hissed, making both Theodore and Malfoy bristle immediately.

"Call off your bloody snakes, CB." Ron snapped harshly, looking at me accusingly like I'd been the one to ask Blaise to speak up.

"Watch your mouth Weasley." Malfoy snarled before I could retort - moving forward so he was standing a little in front of my shoulder, almost like he was shielding me, "Black doesn't control us."

"From our point of view," Theodore drawled, stepping forward a little as well, "It sounds like you've given away something that doesn't belong to you, Potter. I think she has every right to want it back."

Harry was looking between me and the three Slytherins incredulously, like he was waiting for me to tell them to bugger off, "Why don't you keep your nose out of things that don't concern you?" he growled eventually, realising I wasn't planning on stepping in. Why should I? They had every right to back me up if they wanted to.

"Anything that concerns her, concerns us." Blaise responded without missing a beat, and despite the circumstances and how furious I was still; I couldn't stop a small smile from flicking onto my face briefly at Blaise's words.

"I just want it back, Harry," I said quietly, trying to prevent the situation from escalating any further, I was very aware of how angry they were all growing.

"Yeah, well you didn't have to bloody threaten him," Ron frowned, "Or show up with bodyguards."

"I didn't ask them to follow me Ron," I rolled my eyes, "Just because you don't understand standing by your friends - which you proved this year."

"Cass!" Harry looked shocked as Ron turned red, clenching his fists at his side. The three boys behind me all snickered, fixing Ron with amused smirks that only made him angrier.

"Am I wrong?" I raised an eyebrow, "I don't know why you're so angry at me anyway, I'm not the one in the wrong here."

Harry had the sense to actually look a little guilty now, slumping slightly but still seeming a little on edge due to the presence of the Slytherins who had still refused to leave my side.

"What's wrong, Potter?" I groaned inwardly at Malfoy's smug tone, he just couldn't help himself, could he? "Don't like being called out for being selfish for once?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry growled, immediately prickling in anger once more, "I don't even know why you're pretending to be on her side! We all know you're only here because you can't help but be a git whenever you can."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed, and he stepped past me and closer to Harry. My eyes widened, not wanting the situation to escalate more than it already had. But before I could say anything another gruff voice interrupted us.

"Is everything alright 'ere, Potter?"

I let out a low hiss, all of us turning to see Professor Moody himself watching us sternly - his magical eye focused on Malfoy who was still staring Harry down.

"We're fine, Professor," Theodore said coolly, always the sensible one, "We were just heading off to first period actually, right Draco?"

"I asked Potter, Mr Nott," Moody snapped, looking at Theodore briefly before back on Harry. I gave him a pleading look, and he sighed, giving Malfoy one more glare before stepping away.

"Fine, sir."

"Come on," Blaise muttered, pulling Malfoy back, who shook him off with a glare. The three of them turned to head back to the Great Hall, but I stayed put.

"Actually Professor, I was wondering if we could have a word?"

Moody raised an eyebrow before nodding slightly in agreement. Harry went to pause, but I shook my head, I could handle this one on my own now. I noticed Theodore and Blaise hesitate as well, but then continue down the corridor with Malfoy in tow - lagging slightly behind them and looking over his shoulder at me. I caught Theo's eye as he went, smiling at him softly when he gave me a small nod - I knew whatever had been going on with us was over now.

"What's on your mind, Miss Black?" Moody's gruff voice pulled my attention back to him, and I fixed him with a cold stare.

"I think Harry let you borrow something that wasn't his to give away."

Moody raised an eyebrow, his eye swivelling unnervingly, "Ah, so that little map belongs to you does it?"

I nodded, my stare not wavering, "We share it sometimes, but Harry had no right to give it to you."

"Hmm," Moody studied me for a moment, "Well, I'm sure you understand Miss Black, that if that map falls into the wrong hands it could be very dangerous - especially for Mr Potter."

I blinked, "What are you saying, professor?"

He smirked, "Think it's best if I hold onto it for now."

My mouth dropped open, and the bastard only looked more pleased by my reaction, like he'd been wanting me to react badly, "But, sir-"

"If not, Miss Black," he interrupted me, "We wouldn't want to have to hand it in to Dumbledore, would we? Or the Ministry? I'm sure they'd all be very interested where you got it, and why you've never handed it in before."

I narrowed my eyes; I knew I should have listened to my stupid gut feeling. There was something off about this, he was far too keen on keeping this map - which only meant one thing. He was trying to hide something.

"Of course not," I gritted out, "You're right, Professor. It's safer with you for now."

He smiled smugly, "I thought you might see it my way," his eye suddenly flickered to the side, "You should probably head to class, tell Professor Binns you and Mr Malfoy were late because you were with me."

I blinked in surprise, looking over his shoulder to see Malfoy still waiting down the corridor, his cold gaze focused on us. I headed towards him without another word to Moody, glaring at him suspiciously when I reached him.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't do something stupid like attack a Professor," he said coolly, "We can't afford to lose any more points."

He turned to walk off, but I was too riled up from the two confrontations I'd just had to just let him walk away from me again, and grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Bullshit," I spat.

He yanked his arm away from me, fixing me with a glare, "I just helped you and that's how you talk to me? Why are you always so goddamn ungrateful!?" he hissed.

"Why did you help me?" I demanded, determined to get a straight answer out of him for once, "I didn't need anyone's help, but I especially didn't expect yours."

"Maybe I just wanted to see you put Potter in his place for once," he snapped, "It's about time you stopped letting him walk all over you."

I stepped closer to him, not even caring that the last time we were this close he'd messed my head up for days. "Bullshit," I said again.

He didn't move, staring me down, "What answer are you expecting from me, Black?" he snarled.

I held his gaze for a moment before I stepped back a little and regarded him thoughtfully. I was over not getting straight answers from him, he had been messing with my head all year and I was done with it. If he wanted something from me, he was going to have to tell me himself.

"You told me I wasn't ready to admit something last week," I said finally, and his eyebrows raised a little in surprise. I don't think he'd been expecting me to bring that up, I hadn't said a word about it since and had basically avoided him like the plague.

"But I'm not going to admit anything until you admit it to me first."

He scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous."

"I don't think I'm being ridiculous. It isn't fair of you to ask that when all you've done all year is mess with my head!" I crossed my arms, looking him right in the eye, "And maybe that's the whole point, maybe you are just doing it all to mess with me. But if you really do want something from me, you have to start being upfront about it."

He continued to stare back at me, his eyes narrowed - and the silence stretched between us for what felt like minutes, neither of us daring to break our eye contact or be the first to speak.

"Hm," he suddenly smirked, stepping away from me and looking triumphant, "I don't need to, you just admitted it anyway."

I blinked, "No I didn't."

His smirk only grew, and he leaned down, "You asking me to admit it is you admitting it," he murmured into my ear, and I cursed myself silently when it sent a shiver down my spine. He straightened up again, giving me one last smug smirk before striding away while I watched him go with wide eyes.

* * *

"How could you not have told me any of this before!?" Madi whacked me on the arm, glaring at me accusingly. I rubbed my arm, glaring back at her and putting a finger to my lips to remind her to be quiet.

I had decided it was probably time to let my best friend in on everything that was going on, so after dinner I'd dragged her up to the library under the guise of homework so no one would overhear us and spilled it all. From lying to Fred and then everyone else about Malfoy getting me the necklace, to what he'd said when he'd told me it was from him right up to how confused I felt and our conversation from earlier today. I had to admit - I felt a lot better after getting it all off my chest, and I don't know why I hadn't just told Madi earlier. I knew I could always trust her to say the right thing.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to avoid it for as long as possible. If I talked to you about it that made it all feel real…"

She sighed, smiling at me in understanding, "I get it, don't worry." I gave her a small smile in return, and she looked at me thoughtfully, "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I sighed, absentmindedly fiddling with my necklace.

Madi noticed what I was doing immediately, and raised an eyebrow, "Do you think you fancy Malfoy?"

"I don't know," I said again, dropping my hand away, "All I know is something is different this year, and most of me is telling me to run as far away as I can from it…"

"Why?" she pushed gently.

I snorted, "Why shouldn't I? He's still Malfoy, he's an asshole who treats people like shit most of the time, even if he has suddenly decided to be a little more decent to me. Besides, can you imagine what Harry and the others will say if I even dare to be friends with him?"

"Sweetie," Madi sighed, "It's not about anyone else, at the end of the day if they're really your friends and truly care about you, they'll support you no matter what you decide."

"I don't even know if that's what I want," I said honestly, letting my head fall into my hands with a groan.

"What about Weasley? Do you still have the same feelings for him?"

"I care about him a lot," I said firmly, looking back up at her, "And the last thing I want is to hurt him - or lose him. And why should I give up what I have with him for something else I don't even fully comprehend yet? He's always made me feel safe, never messed with my head like Malfoy seems to enjoy doing so much."

"Well," Madi said carefully, "You said it yourself, sticking with the safe option doesn't do anyone any favors."

"Ugh," I grumbled, "Using my own words against me - dick move Onyx."

She only shrugged innocently in response, "I'm just saying."

I let out a groan, "This is why I hate feelings. None of this would have happened if I hadn't let you and Zabini convince me to date Fred in the first place!"

"Yes, it's all our fault," she replied drily, and I nodded stubbornly. Madi rolled her eyes, the two of us falling into silence as she realised I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I figured we should actually do some homework, so I got stuck into my Charms essay on banishing objects.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt a hand on my shoulder around half an hour later, relaxing when I saw Fred smirking down at me in amusement from my reaction.

"You could have said something!"

"I did," he laughed, "You didn't hear me."

"He did," Madi confirmed, shooting me a reassuring look before grabbing her books and making her way out of the library.

"Sorry," I apologised as he sat down in the seat she vacated, "I was very committed to this Charms essay."

"Apparently," he responded before frowning at me in concern, "What's this I hear about you and Harry having a row today?"

I let out an irritated sigh at the reminder, "Harry decided to give my map to Moody without asking."

Fred's eyes widened, "You're joking?" He and George were the only ones besides Harry I ever let borrow the map, in my eyes they were the only other people I knew who would use it for the amount of mischief it deserved.

"I wish I was," I muttered.

"I'm sorry," he reached for my hand, pulling it up to his lips and kissing it gently, "I know how important it is to you."

I pushed some hair off his face with my other hand, smiling at him gratefully, "Thank you. It's more the fact that I've had an issue with Moody since the start of the year, and I don't like the idea of him having it."

"Well you're right, Harry had no right to give it to him," he sighed, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.

I rolled my eyes, "Can't say I'm surprised he did, though."

"Ron mentioned something else..." he watched me carefully while he spoke, noticing when I tensed a little, and I already knew what he was going to say.

"About Malfoy and some of the others trying to have a go as well?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, of course Ron would word it like that, "They weren't having a go, they were just defending me."

"Okay," Fred frowned, "So why was Malfoy defending you?" I really didn't feel like having another argument with my boyfriend because of Malfoy, especially after today.

"He wasn't, Blaise and Theo were," I sighed.

"Then why did he follow you?" Fred didn't seem to want to back down, only seeming more irritated by my answers.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, pulling away from him and sitting back in my chair. "Who knows why he does anything? He probably just wanted to be a git to Harry like always." I let out a deep breath, "I really don't want to argue with you too, especially about Malfoy."

He finally relaxed, giving me a small smile in reassurance, "It's fine, I'm sorry. I guess he's a bit of a sore spot for me since Christmas."

I tried not to feel too guilty, if he knew the conversations I'd been having with him since it would become much more than just a sore spot. But I knew it would only hurt him, there was no reason he needed to know when it would only cause him pain.

"That's understandable," I whispered, "But you don't need to worry about Malfoy."

He smiled, pressing a soft kiss to my lips, "Then I won't."

I pulled him in for another kiss, letting him distract me from my essay a little longer. If there was one thing I did know in all this confusion, it was that I did care about Fred - a lot. And the last thing I want is for him to end up being the one who gets hurt.

* * *

By the time we got to towards the end of the week, Harry and I still hadn't spoken. This was probably the longest Harry and I had ever gone without talking, the two of us choosing to glare at each other across classrooms instead of trying to sort our little argument out. I supposed he also had much more important things to be worrying about anyway. Infuriatingly, Malfoy went on pretending like nothing had happened as always - so I had elected to do the same, deciding to re-focus on my relationship with Fred and ignore anything I thought I might have felt for the blonde.

One positive lately was that ever since Hagrid had returned to teaching his lessons had actually been quite good. He had been continuing the lessons on unicorns, which had definitely won him back some points for the whole Blast-Ended Skrewts saga. Today there were two unicorn foals tied to the posts, all of the girls in our class practically tripping over themselves to be the first ones to pat them.

"How long are you going to let this go on for?" I jumped slightly when Hermione appeared next to me, I thought I'd been the only girl to not be so easily enchanted by the unicorns. I realised she was referring to Harry and I still not speaking when she looked pointedly over at where he was talking with Hagrid.

"You know he could really use your help with this egg," she continued indignantly when I didn't respond, "The task is two days away and at this point he's probably going to drown in the lake."

I let out a sigh, I had been wondering how he'd been getting along. I had to admit it had been very odd the last few days not speaking to him at least once, and Hermione was right. This wasn't the time to let petty things stop me from helping him.

I quickly strode over to him, smiling back at Hagrid when he beamed at me as he passed. Harry watched me with raised eyebrows, probably wondering if I was planning on yelling at him again.

"So, I heard you're apparently drowning in a lake on Thursday?"

"Most likely."

I sighed dramatically, "I suppose I can try and help you out. Despite what you may think I don't really fancy that actually happening."

He smiled, relaxing as he realised my intention was to bury the hatchet, "Very gracious of you."

I grinned back, giving him a little nudge, "Can't have you dying on me just yet, Potter."

"I really am sorry, y'know?" he said seriously, looking at me meaningfully, and I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I know, I'm sorry too."

"What ended up happening, anyway? When you spoke to Moody?" he asked as we watched Pansy throw a fit when one of the unicorns chose to eat a sugar cube from Parvati Patil instead of her.

I frowned, remembering the suspicion I'd felt after my encounter with the ex-Auror, "He wouldn't give it back, said it was too dangerous and it would be best if he held onto it. It gave me a really-"

"Weird feeling?" Harry finished with a knowing look, laughing when I shoved him again in response. "Look, it isn't surprising is it? He's right, it could be dangerous for someone to accidentally get a hold of right now. Besides, when Dad wrote he said he was super impressed by it, so he probably wants to check it out properly too."

"Yeah I suppose," I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get anywhere with him, he practically worshipped our defence professor at this point. "So, what's the deal with this egg then? Did Diggory's hint pan out?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I figured out what I have to do for the next task."

"What do you have to do then?"

"Nothing much," he said flippantly as we walked over to re-join the class, "Just breathe underwater for an hour."

My eyes widened in horror, and he looked at me with a grimace, "My thoughts exactly."

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Harry and the others in the library looking for anything we could find on the Black Lake, or the ability to breathe underwater but came up with nothing. Hermione kept rambling on about Transfiguration, but there was no chance Harry would be able to learn the kind of advanced magic he would need in one night. This of course only sent her on a spiel about how he should have figured his egg out earlier, which then only stressed Harry out more.

"It can't be done," Ron exclaimed the next night, hidden from my view by a pile of books, "There's nothing anywhere about breathing underwater!"

"There has to be something," Hermione said, slamming the book she was reading closed and rubbing her eyes tiredly, "They would never set a task that isn't achievable."

I peaked at Harry over my own pile, he wasn't even reading anymore - just staring straight ahead looking as ghostly as the Bloody Baron. I didn't blame him, the task was tomorrow and the only thing we'd found so far was a spell to dry up puddles and ponds, which definitely wasn't powerful enough to dry up the entire lake.

"There has to be," Hermione muttered again, determinedly flipping pages once more.

"We should have just forced our dad's to teach us how to become an Animagus when we were younger," I sighed, sliding down my seat in exhaustion.

"See, that would be bloody wicked regardless," Ron stated.

"Well it doesn't help me much now," Harry mumbled miserably.

"Maybe you should have tried to introduce yourself to the merpeople," I mused, "Charmed them, and then they probably would have just handed whatever they've taken over…"

Ron snorted, but neither Harry or Hermione looked very amused - the former giving me a withering look.

"Wouldn't have worked anyway," I jumped slightly when I heard Fred's voice, the four of us turning to see he and George had appeared from behind some bookshelves. "Harry's not very good at being charming."

"Not his biggest strength," George agreed with a playful smirk.

"Thanks guys," Harry muttered, "Making me feel loads better."

"What're you doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for Granger," George responded, "McGonagall wants her."

Hermione looked confused, "Why?"

"Beats us," the twins chorused with a shrug.

Hermione looked between Harry and the books helplessly, "I'll meet you two back in the Common Room, bring as many of these as you can." The two boys nodded, staring in despair at the piles surrounding us as she reluctantly followed the twins back out of the library.

"Great, now we really are screwed," Ron said glumly, knowing Hermione was probably our best hope at finding anything.

"I already was," Harry responded flatly.

"Well, isn't this a cute little study group."

I let out a small groan, the three of us turning to see Draco Malfoy was now leaning on one of the bookshelves smirking smugly at us.

"What the bloody hell do you want?" Ron snapped.

His gaze moved over to me, "I'm looking for Black - Snape wants to see you."

"Right now?" I raised an eyebrow, not keen on leaving Harry and Ron to fend for themselves.

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, now. Seems like it's rather urgent," he didn't look too pleased to be the one who was sent to find me.

I let out a sigh, reluctantly standing up and looking at the two Gryffindors similarly to how Hermione had before she'd left, "I'll come to the Common Room after, alright?"

They both nodded wordlessly, looking even more grim than before.

"Good luck tomorrow, Potter!" Malfoy called tauntingly over his shoulder as we exited, ignoring the harsh look I gave him for doing so.

"Is walking me the whole way really necessary?" I snapped as he continued past the Common Room entrance alongside me once we reached the dungeons.

"Just following instructions," he responded.

"Since when are you Snape's errand boy?" I smirked, knowing that would irritate him.

It did, and he bristled immediately, glaring sharply at me, "I'm not an errand boy. I just happened to be the first unlucky person he found."

"Right," I rolled my eyes.

"You and Potter made up then?" he said after another silence.

"Seems like it."

He scoffed, "You know, I was almost impressed that you finally decided to put him in his place."

My face must have given away how surprised I was at that, because he rolled his eyes as soon as I looked at him, "I said almost, and besides - doesn't matter now does it? What was the point if you were just going to forgive him days later? I doubt he's even gotten whatever he gave away back either, and you still have."

"This might be hard for you to understand Malfoy," I snapped, irritated that once again he'd managed to read a situation exactly right, "But some people are decent, and capable of forgiving their friends. Besides, Harry could literally die in this stupid tournament, so it doesn't really seem worth it to hold onto petty arguments."

"Please," he drawled, looking bored, "Potter will do what he always does, be completely unprepared and then triumph like a bloody hero anyway."

I fell silent again, that was pretty much exactly what he'd done with the dragon - but this time I wasn't so sure. How could someone miraculously be able to breathe underwater? Even for Harry that seemed like a stretch.

"You spend far too much time worrying about him," Malfoy scoffed, breaking me back out of my thoughts just as we reached the Potions master's office.

"Just because you don't care about anyone other than yourself," I shot back harshly, whirling around and knocking loudly on the door before he could respond. I smirked to myself as the door opened for me and I strolled in, successfully keeping Malfoy from getting the last word.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Yes," Snape rose from his desk, and I suddenly felt uneasy when I realised he had drawn his wand, "Do not worry, it will all make sense soon."

"Wait - what will make sense?"

I barely got the question out before everything went dark.

* * *

I let out a small groan, slowly blinking my eyes open and sitting up. I looked around as my eyes started to adjust, and immediately jumped to my feet.

I wasn't in Snape's office anymore.

I took in the familiar bookshelves, the rug on the carpet and pictures on the walls, and most distinctively the piano in the corner of the room. I was at home - this was my living room. I blinked again, everything still looked off and my head felt fuzzy, like when I got hit in the head with a quaffle last year. Why had Snape knocked me out just to send me to my living room? I started to panic - what if this was something to do with Harry? What if something had happened to him?

I rushed over to the door and tugged, my heart sinking even further when it didn't budge. The handle wouldn't even turn no matter how much I continued to yank on it, but I refused to give up. If Harry was in trouble then I had to help.

I suddenly froze when I heard someone start to play an eerily familiar tune on the piano, and slowly turned around - falling back into the door in shock when I saw who occupied the seat in front of the piano. I took in the familiar blonde hair, and the eyes - my eyes - staring back at me.

"Mum?" I choked out.

She stopped playing, smiling softly at me and standing up, "Hello sweetheart."

"How...what…" my eyes widened, "Oh my god...am I dead?!"

She chuckled, moving closer to me, "No, you're not dead."

I felt like I was frozen, I just continued to stare at her wide eyed, "Then how are you here?"

"I had to see you, there are things that I need to tell you."

I frowned, still trying to figure out if this was actually happening. Everything still felt off, almost like I was dreaming - but it all felt far too real to just be a dream.

"We don't have much time," she continued softly, and my breath hitched in my throat when she slowly reached out and brushed some hair off my face. Her eyes glistened with tears, "Look how beautiful you've grown up to be..."

I felt my own eyes start to fill with tears, it didn't matter how or why - all that mattered was that she was here. The part of me that had always ached to have my mother with me took over and I flung myself at her, holding onto her tightly in case she disappeared again at any second.

"I miss you so much."

"I know," she whispered, stroking my hair, "But I'm so proud of you my girl, you've become everything I always knew you would."

I pulled back, brushing a stray tear off my cheek as I looked up at her again, my heart clenching when I saw her eyes shining with pride as she looked back at me.

"How can you be proud?" I shook my head, "I feel like I've been doing everything wrong lately."

She smiled fondly, wiping some more tears from my eyes, "You're doing just fine, sweetheart. It's okay to feel confused - but you need to learn to trust your instincts, just go with what your heart is telling you. Your heart is almost never wrong."

All I had ever wanted was this. To get advice from my mother when everything felt like it was all falling apart, for her to tell me how to fix it and make everything okay. "What if I don't know what it's telling me?"

A wistful smile crossed her features, almost like she knew something I didn't, "You just have to be brave enough to listen."

I frowned a little, wanting to ask her more but her face suddenly turned more serious and she placed her hands on my arms gently.

"We don't have much time left. Listen to me sweetheart - there are things coming, things you cannot stop."

My eyes widened, "What things? What do you mean?"

She shook her head briefly, "Everything will make sense soon, but you need to stay with them. Trust the people around you, the ones you care for - who care for you. Without you they won't survive."

I frowned in confusion, none of this was making sense, "Who? Who are you talking about?"

She stroked my cheek lightly, "Follow your heart, trust your instincts. You are more important than you think."

"Mum you aren't making any sense, please just tell me what you're talking about?" I pleaded, grabbing her hand. Suddenly an ice cold feeling ran through my body, and I gripped her hand tighter. I knew this was about to end.

"I love you my girl," she whispered, "And remember I'm always with you."

I got colder, and her hand started to slip out of my grip, "No! I'm not ready yet...wait!"

She gave me one last smile, her eyes still glistening with tears - and then everything fell into darkness once more.

* * *

I gasped for air as I regained consciousness, a sudden deafening roar hitting my ears. It only took me a moment to realise I was in the lake - and I turned to the side to see Harry breaking the surface next to me, one of his hands on my arm and the other holding up a small, fair-haired girl. It didn't take me long to figure out whatever had just happened to me was part of the Second Task, and as the three of us started to swim back to the platform I could make out the crowd still cheering in the stands.

"Are you alright?" Harry turned to me, and I nodded in response before glancing quickly at the other girl again.

"Who's that?"

"Fleur's sister I think, she didn't make it down to get her," Harry responded with a cough, "I couldn't leave her."

It all started to make sense to me now - the mermaids didn't take a precious item; they took someone who was close to every champion.

"You idiot," I scoffed, "Why would you waste time rescuing someone who wasn't yours? You didn't think the professors would actually let any of us drown, did you?"

Harry immediately flushed red, looking a mix between embarrassed and annoyed. I merely rolled my eyes, typical Harry always needing to be the hero.

As we got closer to the platform, I could make out Madam Pomfrey fussing over Hermione, Krum, Cedric and Cho who were wrapped in blankets. Dumbledore and Bagman were both beaming at Harry, and I grinned when I saw our fathers and Lupin standing next to them. Madame Maxime was holding a hysterical Fleur, who kept screaming for her sister as we finally reached the platform. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes - there was no need to be that dramatic. Dumbledore and Bagman pulled Harry up at the same time Fleur practically attacked her sister, and I gratefully accepted my dad's hand as he rushed over to meet us. I shivered as he draped a woolly blanket over my shoulders, before wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"Are you okay, kid?" he asked, his eyes scanning my body for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine," I assured him, smiling through my chattering teeth. He seemed satisfied, nodding before pulling my back into his chest and rubbing my arms to try and warm me up faster. James seemed to be fussing over Harry much in the same way, wrapping a blanket tightly around him while Hermione spoke to him. He looked over at us then, making his way over with James on his heels.

"Okay?" he asked me again, and I nodded.

"Tell your kid to stop dragging my kid into his shenanigans all the time," my dad joked, winking at James.

"She's fine," James responded, ruffling my hair for good measure and grinning when I ducked away in irritation, "No harm done."

"Next time Harry," I stated, looking at my godbrother meaningfully, "Don't waste time by worrying about someone else."

He sighed, looking like he agreed with me on that one, "Hermione said I was well out of the time limit…"

"They might take you rescuing two people into account," Lupin tried to reassure him a little, clapping him on the shoulder, "Very brave of you, Harry."

"Very stupid is more like it…" I muttered quietly, smirking when my dad poked my back lightly in warning.

The judges were currently conversing in a huddle, and I snuck a look at Harry to see him looking very solemn as he watched them. Hermione made her way over to us, Krum watching her with a disappointed frown, evidently a bit put out he'd been the one to save her and all she seemed to care about was Harry.

"That was clever of them, don't you think?" she said to me, "Using a person instead of an object. When McGonagall told me at first I was a little worried, but it feels like I've just had a nap and woken up!"

My heart sank as I suddenly remembered what had happened while I was apparently in the lake. I had seen my mother, she had spoken to me. Had it all been a dream?

I snorted in response to Hermione, "At least McGonagall told you what was happening, Snape just knocked me out." I decided not to mention anything about what had happened, obviously Hermione hadn't had any sort of dream while she'd been under. Besides, I wasn't sure it was something I was ready to tell my father about yet either.

My father scoffed behind me, "Typical Snivellus."

I leant back into him a little, "I'm fine though, Dad."

He let out another unimpressed noise but made no further comment.

"Cassie!"

I jumped slightly when I heard Fred's voice, and was suddenly pulled away from my father and into my boyfriend's chest instead.

"You scared the bloody hell out of me, I couldn't find you all morning...and then Ron said last he saw you Malfoy took you off somewhere!"

"I'm okay," I repeated for what felt like the thousandth time as he pulled back, looking relieved.

"Did you fight your way down here?" my father smiled in amusement at Fred, who shrugged sheepishly.

Before we could say anything else - Bagman's voice suddenly boomed around us, making me jump a little as he was so close to us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached a decision. Mer-chieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore awarded marks out of fifty to each champion as follows…"

I reached for Harry's hand, and he looked over at me with a small smile as he squeezed it reassuringly.

"Miss Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head charm, was attacked by Grindylows as she approached her goal and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

The audience all clapped politely, and Fred let out a low whistle, "Yikes."

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the bubble-head charm was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside of the time limit. We award him forty-seven points."

The stands erupted, and I tried not to gag as Cho Chang leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. I would still never understand how someone like Diggory could choose to go out with someone as awful as her.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was third to come to the surface with his hostage, though the second to make it out of the water. We award him forty points."

I snuck a look at Hermione, who was clapping vigorously and trying to hide her increasingly red cheeks. I heard Harry let out a sigh next to me, and gave his hand another squeeze in assurance.

"Harry Potter used Gillyweed to great effect," I raised my eyebrows, how had Harry thought of that so quickly? And more importantly how had he managed to sneak it out of Snape's stores? I sought out the potions professor, and saw it looked like he was wondering the exact same thing.

"He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was the first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Both Hermione and I shot Harry exasperated looks.

"Most of the judges-" it was hard to miss the pointed look Bagman gave Karkaroff, "-feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks." I raised my eyebrows, I wasn't sure I even agreed with that. "However… Mr Potter's score is forty-five points."

I saw Harry visibly relax as the stands erupted once more, James gripping his shoulders and grinning widely.

"You're tied for first with Cedric!" Hermione exclaimed. I gave him a little nudge as I clapped along with everyone else, I really was happy he had done well - even if I still thought he'd been an idiot.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman continued, "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely a month beforehand."

"At least you'll get a bit of warning this time," I said to Harry as the crowds started to disperse, heading back up to the castle.

"It's ages away too," Fred added as we climbed off the platform.

I tuned out the conversation, my mind drifting back to what had happened when I was in the lake. I couldn't stop thinking about what my mother had said...what did it mean that I was more important than I think?

"Hey," my dad's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as we reached the shore of the lake, and I saw him frowning at me in concern, "Are you sure you're okay, kid?"

I tried to smile as reassuring as I could, hoping he would buy it, "I promise."

He didn't look convinced, like he knew there was something I wasn't saying. But before he could say anything else, I was suddenly knocked off balance slightly as Daphne appeared out of nowhere and threw herself at me.

"Thank Salazar you're alright!" she squeezed me tightly, "You didn't come back last night, and then you weren't here this morning..."

"Let her breathe, Greengrass," Blaise pulled her off me, "She didn't survive that just to be suffocated by you."

I coughed a little, Daphne looking at me apologetically as I did so. Theodore and Madi were standing next to Blaise, both of them looking at me much in the same way everyone else had since I got out of that bloody lake.

"Everyone does realise I can handle being submerged in a lake for a couple of hours right?" I said drily, getting a bit fed up.

"She's still cold!" Daphne put a hand on my arm, looking horrified. I glanced around quickly, and noticed Harry and the others were standing a little off to the side now - evidently waiting for me.

"I thought we told you to stay out of all this," Theodore scolded me like I was a child, and my mouth dropped open a little.

"I didn't really have a choice, did I?"

"We need to get you into dry clothes," Daphne was falling into mother hen mode, gripping onto my arm and giving me a little tug in the direction of the castle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Madi asked, looking at me strangely. I knew she could probably tell there was something going on, but I just gave a little nod and warned her to drop it with a look. She wisely took my cues, staying silent and choosing to frown at me instead.

"Come on," Daphne said again, pulling me a little harder. I sighed in defeat, taking a few steps before Harry's voice calling over stopped us.

"We were gonna go to Hagrid's - aren't you coming?" we all turned to look at the group of them, and Harry did not look pleased that the group of Slytherins were essentially hijacking me.

"I'll catch up with you later," I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes when his scowl only grew. I gave a wave to my father and the others, who returned it looking amused.

"But-"

It was Blaise who cut Harry off, fixing him with a glare he usually only reserved for when he was incredibly angry with someone. "Just leave her out of your shit for once, Potter."

I blinked a little in shock as Harry's mouth dropped open.

"What?"

I gave Blaise a little nudge so he would start walking, not really keen on another argument breaking out between my friends. Blaise shot him one more glare, before the group of us headed back up to the castle. I made sure to shoot a quick apologetic look over my shoulder to Harry, but he'd already turned away. I let out a sigh, hoping he wouldn't be too mad.

"What was that about?" I demanded, looking at Blaise with my eyes narrowed.

He rolled his eyes, "Exactly what I said, he needs to leave you out of his shit."

"He didn't ask for them to put me in the lake," I defended.

"I guess I'm just wondering why he's meant to be the fucking Chosen One but you're the one who always ends up in danger," Blaise snapped. I was a little taken aback, glancing between my group of friends - who all seemed to be nodding in agreement with him.

"He couldn't even save you right," Theodore agreed with a scoff, "Wasted all that time on someone else."

"And still gets bloody rewarded for it," Madi muttered angrily. Daphne tucked the blanket a little tighter on me, also not looking very pleased.

Despite the fact I was still wet and freezing, I couldn't help but smile a little. We Slytherins weren't exactly a lovey-dovey bunch, but it was these times that made me realise maybe they did actually care about me. That they did see me as one of them. What my mother had said came back to me, trust those who you care for. And those who care for you. I snuck a look at Madi, who was already watching me looking slightly suspicious. I mouthed 'later' at her, and she nodded, returning to her conversation with Blaise.

If there was anyone I was going to tell about what had happened, it was going to be those two. I didn't really want to tell Harry, I didn't want to freak him out. It also felt too special to share with everyone, it was my moment with my mother. No one else needed to know.

* * *

Later, after a long, very hot shower I was sat on the sofas with Blaise and Madi - quickly telling them about my mother before we went down to dinner.

"Holy shit," Blaise's eyes were wide as he looked at me, "That's insane."

"It was just a dream though, right?" Madi looked confused, frowning.

I shrugged, "I guess so? I mean it had to be…"

"But?" Blaise pressed knowingly.

I let out a small sigh, watching the embers of the fire slowly dying, "It just felt so...real? What she was telling me, it felt like it was important - not something I just made up in a dream."

"Is that even possible?" he questioned.

"I have no idea," I replied honestly, looking back at them with a helpless shrug.

"How do you feel about it all?" Madi asked gently.

I let my head fall on the back of the couch, staring up at the roof - not answering her right away. I had no idea how I was feeling, I think a part of me was still in shock, and another other part was convinced it had never even happened at all.

"I'm honestly still trying to process it all," I said eventually, meeting my two best friend's gazes once more.

"Let's say it wasn't a dream," Blaise said quietly, "And she really was warning you...do we even want to start thinking about what that might mean?"

Madi and I both stayed silent, the three of us exchanging worried looks.

"I think I can only handle one thing at a time right now," I said eventually, and they both nodded. I don't think any of us were ready for that conversation yet.

"Come on," I said, standing up, "I'm starved, being passed out in a lake really takes it out of you."

Blaise snorted, rolling his eyes as we made our way to the Great Hall. By the time we arrived the food was already out, and we quickly slipped into our seats and started piling it onto our plates. I hadn't been kidding - I'd skipped dinner last night to help Harry and then missed breakfast because I was unconscious - so I was practically ravenous.

"Nice to see you not looking like a drowned rat," Tracey grinned, and I shot her a dirty look in response. She and Lillian had been in the dorm when we came back, the two of them making sure I knew they were just as annoyed with Harry as everyone else. And then telling me to shower before I made the room smell of seaweed.

Parkinson let out a dramatic sigh from next to Theodore, "I knew there had to be a reason I was having such a nice day, you were incapacitated for half of it," she smirked.

"Try me tonight Parkinson and I'll incapacitate you," I replied smoothly, buttering my bread roll nonchalantly.

She let out a huff, but a small warning look from Theo shut her up, making me smirk. It was nice to have my friend back on side.

I stayed silent for a while after that, very content to feed my empty stomach. It was only when I felt that familiar pair of silver eyes on me for the third time that I finally looked over at Malfoy, raising my eyebrows questioningly.

He simply raised his back at me challengingly, and I rolled my eyes and looked away again. I was not in the mood for one of his games tonight.

"Stop eye fucking across the table," Blaise muttered quietly, and I turned to glare at him in horror which only made him smirk.

"We are not!" I hissed back just as quietly, making sure no one else would overhear us.

"Right," he scoffed, "The two of you really just need to get over yourselves and admit you don't actually hate each other's company." I hadn't told Blaise any of what had been going on with me and Malfoy this year. He was his best friend and I didn't want to put him in the middle of it, so if he knew anything Malfoy would have had to tell him himself – which I highly doubted he had. But Blaise had always been especially perceptive.

"Maybe if he stops being such a prat all the time," I mumbled stubbornly.

Blaise let out a frustrated sigh, glancing quickly towards Malfoy, which made me especially intrigued by what he was about to say - as he obviously didn't want him to know he was saying it.

"Look, I'm not daft. I know there's something weird going on between you two this year - even if you haven't told me anything…" I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head to stop me from interrupting, "But if it's part of the reason you've been so out of sorts lately, maybe you should think about figuring it out."

I frowned, had it really been so noticeable how confused I was to everyone else? Then again, Blaise was one of the people who knew me best so it wouldn't be hard for him to notice any difference. Like I said, he was perceptive.

"He's not as bad as you think he is, you know," he spoke up again quietly when I didn't respond.

I mustn't have looked convinced because he let out another sigh, "I saw him when Potter pulled you out of that lake today," we both turned to glance subtly at the blonde, who was still (thankfully) oblivious to our conversation, "If I didn't know any better I'd say he was just as worried as the rest of us."

My best friend seemed satisfied even though I didn't respond, going back to his dinner without further comment and leaving me to ponder his words. I snuck another glance at Malfoy, was Blaise right? Had he really been concerned about me today? I shook my head a little, turning back to stare down at my plate again. Why should it matter if he did anyway, it wouldn't change anything. I turned to glance his way again, surprised when he was already looking at me. His eyes flicked between me and Blaise knowingly, and I quickly looked away before he noticed my cheeks flush. There was no way he knew what Blaise and I had been talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: She saw her mother! Don't worry, you'll learn a lot more about her as the story goes on, and the dream will definitely be important later.


	11. Definitions

The next few weeks passed in cold breezes and unforgiving chills. Even though winter had passed, the winds were still freezing so we spent most of our time in the Common Room or alcoves the wind couldn't get to us - especially after Daphne suffered an unfortunate incident resulting in losing her new scarf she'd just gotten for Christmas. She hadn't stopped complaining for a week, so we steered clear of any open spaces after that to keep our sanity in check.

Thoughts of my mother and everything she had said were often in the back of my mind, which caused a lot of distraction for me in classes. I couldn't help my mind from wandering, Blaise and Madi quite often being the ones to nudge me out of my daydreams.

"Maybe you should ask Snape if he knows anything about weird dreams being a side effect of the spell." Madi suggested after she brought me back to Earth during one of Flitwick's lectures one Friday in early March.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," Blaise muttered in agreement from next to her.

I nodded thoughtfully, we had Potions after lunch. It wouldn't hurt to at least ask.

With that thought in mind, I left lunch early and headed down to Potions early to catch our Professor before the rest of the class arrived. It wasn't a subject I wanted anyone overhearing - especially Harry. I still hadn't told him, and at this point I wasn't sure if I ever would. It was the first secret I had ever kept from him, well, if you didn't count me not mentioning any of my weird interactions with Malfoy. Not that I could even really class that as a secret - more like omitting certain things he would rather not know about.

Snape's eyebrows raised in surprise when I entered the dungeon, clearly confused that I was early for his class for the first time in my schooling career.

"To what do I owe this unexpected punctuality?" he asked drily.

"Can I ask you a question, sir?" I frowned.

"I can't stop you."

"The spell you used on me for the second task, to put me to sleep. What was it?" I was wary, I didn't want to have to mention the specifics if I didn't need to.

He barely looked up from his desk, "A simple sleeping charm Miss Black, why?"

I fidgeted, "Is it known to have any...dreamlike side effects?"

That caught his attention, he looked up and folded his hands on the desk in front of him, "No, not usually. Is there any specific reason you are asking me this?"

I pondered making something up, but he would see right through me and I knew it. I sighed, "I may have had some sort of...I don't want to call it a dream. It felt too real, and the things that happened felt too important for me to have just made up."

He regarded me thoughtfully for a moment, "What exactly did this dream entail?"

I hesitated; I had no reason not to trust my Professor - he had always been a confidant for me. But there was so much history between him and my father, and what Harry and Ron had been saying at the ball had been playing on my mind lately too.

He must have sensed my hesitation because he let out a long sigh, "Miss Black, I will only be able to help you if I know all of the information."

"I saw my mother," I finally admitted, and I saw his eyebrows raise slightly in surprise, "And before you tell me I just dreamed it because I wanted to see her so bad, I didn't."

"And how can you be so certain?"

I shook my head, thinking back to how I'd felt in that room, "It was real. She was there, I touched her...and I saw her for a reason. She was trying to tell me something, to warn me."

Snape let out a deep sigh, "Well, I can't think of any reason the spell would compel such a vision."

My heart sank.

"So, I would advise you not to dwell on it too much," he continued as he stood to walk over to the door, both of us now aware of voices outside the classroom door.

"Are you saying I should forget about it, then? It was just a stupid dream?" I questioned a little bitterly.

He paused at the door, turning back to look at me, "I did not say that, and even if it was Miss Black - sometimes it is unwise to discredit dreams."

I felt even more confused than when I'd walked in, but I didn't have a chance to question him any further as he threw open the door and beckoned the rest of the class in. I caught Harry's eye as I moved over to my table, him looking confused as to why I was already in the room. As I sat down I could hear Parkinson giggling particularly loudly and resisted the urge to roll my eyes - whatever had her so pleased couldn't possibly be good.

"Any luck?" Blaise whispered to me as we watched Snape start to write up the ingredients for today's potion on the board.

I shook my head, "It's not a common occurrence, it was just a simple sleeping charm."

"Damn," Blaise muttered, looking at me slightly apologetically. "Sorry CB, I know you wanted answers."

I shrugged, "I guess I'm just not supposed to have them. Maybe it was just a dream."

"Maybe," Blaise agreed, but even he didn't look convinced.

Malfoy suddenly let out a loud, irritated sigh from next to us. I turned to tell him what Blaise and I were talking about was none of his business - only to realise he wasn't irritated by being left out of our chat like I thought, but was staring across the room at a seemingly normal acting Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"What's wrong with you?" I raised an eyebrow, starting to gather everything we would need for our Wit-Sharpening Potion.

"Didn't you read _Witch_ _Weekly_?" he responded, and I snorted in distaste.

"I don't read garbage."

"Apparently Potter and Granger don't either," he tossed a copy towards me, and I glanced down at the article it was open on and immediately rolled my eyes when I saw the title: ' _HARRY POTTER'S SECRET HEARTACHE'_ by Rita Skeeter.

"We warned those two not to mess with Skeeter," I sighed, mostly to myself as I knew my two companions probably didn't care. I scanned the article briefly, not being able to help the amused smirk grow on my face as I realised she was trying to spin Hermione as some harlet - going after Harry and Krum.

"Well, this is all just bullshit," I stated, glancing over to see Hermione had carelessly tossed the magazine on an empty chair at their table and realising why Malfoy had been upset. The Slytherins had given it to them hoping for a reaction, and they hadn't gotten one.

"I agree," Malfoy smirked, "If she's going to try and pass someone off as a whore, she made a mistake choosing Granger, who would fight over a troll like her?"

I only vaguely heard him - suddenly bursting into laughter when I got near the end of the article.

"What?" Malfoy demanded in irritation, obviously annoyed he'd now gotten an unwanted reaction out of me too. Blaise was watching with an amused half-smirk, dutifully starting work on our potion.

"Sorry, it's just…" I gasped out through my laughter, "She's described Parkinson as pretty and vivacious!"

Blaise snorted from next to me, shaking his head as I leant my head on his shoulder to continue laughing - while Malfoy simply rolled his eyes and started to crush our scarab beetles, giving up on his attempts to rile anyone up.

Parkinson turned from the table in front of us, eyes blazing, "Excuse me!?"

I lifted my head with a smirk, I'd intentionally said it loud enough for her to hear, "Oh well, at least we know the whole article is complete bollocks then."

"Theodore!" Pansy practically screeched, and Theo looked up from next to her; looking tired, "Are you going to just let her speak to me like that?"

Theodore let out a long sigh, giving me a look to let me know he was not in the mood to deal with an angry Pansy right now, "Cass."

I rolled my eyes, "I can't help that I found it funny, Theodore. It's all about individual interpretation, right?"

Parkinson looked like she wanted to yell at me again, but Theodore stopped her - pulling her back to face the front and giving me a withering look as he did so.

"I cannot believe they've lasted this long," I scoffed quietly.

"I understand, Parkinson has a lot to offer," Malfoy smirked in response, and I wrinkled my nose up in disgust.

"That's revolting."

"He won't break up with her," Blaise spoke up, "At least not until Greengrass and Montague end things anyway."

The three of us glanced quickly at Daphne, who was watching Lillian adding the ingredients to their potion with a sour look on her face.

"Montague will dump her soon, he gets bored quickly," Malfoy shrugged, going back to grinding ingredients.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," our attention was drawn by Snape's icy voice, and I winced slightly when I realised he was standing behind her, Harry and Ron, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Malfoy sniggered next to me, and I resisted the urge to shove him off his chair when I saw him make a show of flashing Harry his stupid 'POTTER STINKS' badge.

"Ah...reading magazines under the table as well? A further ten points…" Blaise quickly slid the magazine still in front of me under some parchment - though I'm not sure why he bothered, I doubt Snape would take the points off us, he just wanted to call Harry out as usual.

"Oh, but of course...Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings."

The Slytherins were all laughing now, and I shot Harry a sympathetic look as Snape made a show of reading some of the article out loud. Harry looked furious, glaring down at his desk probably imagining all the horrible things he'd like to do to our professor right now.

"I think I had better separate you three, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than your tangled love lives. Weasley, stay here. Miss Granger, over there beside Miss Parkinson and Potter that table in front of my desk. Now."

I snuck a look at Malfoy, who looked incredibly pleased to be getting what he'd wanted all class and scowled. The laughter died down, and we got to work again on our potion.

"Hey Granger…" my eyes narrowed when I heard Parkinson's smug voice, and I looked up to see her trying to get a rise out of Hermione - who was pointedly ignoring her but looking increasingly bothered by her attempts.

"Parkinson," I hissed out harshly, the brunette turning to glare haughtily at me, "One more word to Granger and you should be very scared of going to sleep tonight."

"At least I'm not a traitor," she snarled back, but I merely rolled my eyes - very used to them giving me shit when I decided to defend any of the Gryffindors.

"You might want to ask Greengrass her opinion on that, because I'm sure she'd have a different answer."

Pansy's glare faltered a little, and she turned back around with an offended noise - but made no move to continue to taunt Hermione, who shot me a small but grateful smile. Theodore gave me a small warning look for my comment, but I ignored him. I wasn't about to start another pointless argument with him about Daphne.

"Are you coming with us to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Blaise questioned just before the end of class, the three of us already packing up after handing in our complete potion.

I shook my head, "I promised Fred I'd go with him."

"Not even for a bit?" Blaise pushed, looking a little put out.

"Probably not the best idea, he wasn't super happy when I ditched him for you lot the first time." I sighed, standing up and gathering my books up as Snape dismissed us.

"You spent the whole time with him last trip though!"

"What is this? A divorce custody battle?" I teased, and Blaise rolled his eyes - unamused by my joke.

"Well, if you change your mind we'll be at the Three Broomsticks pretty much all day," he relented, and I nodded at him, before heading towards the front to catch Harry.

"He's such a git," Harry grumbled, glaring over his shoulder at Snape as the two of us headed out of the room.

"Don't let him rile you up," I responded, "You have much bigger things to worry about."

"What were you doing there so early, anyway?" he looked over at me curiously.

"I just had to ask him about a couple of things," I responded breezily.

Harry's eyebrows raised, "You needed help with potions?"

I rolled my eyes, bumping his shoulder with mine, "It's not unheard of. Not all of us are perfect, Potter."

He scoffed, before scowling again, "Snape reckons I've been stealing from him."

"You did steal from him."

"That was Dobby," Harry argued. "I mean other things - boomslang skin, lacewing flies and other random stuff like that…"

I frowned in confusion, "Why the bloody hell would you need boomslang skin and lacewing flies?"

"My point exactly," he responded drily. "He thought it was me because of when he almost caught me under the cloak - someone broke into his office that night."

I shrugged, "Well you can't really blame him then, gives him enough reason to suspect you."

"Anything gives him enough reason to suspect me," Harry mumbled bitterly, and I bit back an amused smile.

"I'll be with Fred at Hogsmeade tomorrow, but I might catch up with you later on?" I changed the subject, and Harry nodded in response before looking at me carefully.

"You guys alright, you and Fred?"

I frowned in confusion, "We're fine...great actually. Why do you ask?"

Harry gave a little shrug, "Dunno, he just keeps asking me if I think you've been acting strange. I told him I didn't think you were."

"Strange how?" I bristled nervously.

"Like there's something going on you aren't telling him," we paused at the end of the corridor before my common room, and Harry studied me carefully for a moment, "But I said you hadn't mentioned anything to me, and we don't keep secrets... so he doesn't need to be worried."

That all too familiar feeling of guilt started to build in my chest, and I prayed my expression didn't give me away, "Right. I don't know why he'd think that."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe just try and reassure him a bit? I know you struggle with letting people get close sometimes, but he really does care about you Cass."

I sighed, "I know, thanks Harry," I gave him a small smile to assure him, "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"See you later," he responded with a grin, before he continued further up the castle and I headed towards the common room.

The dorm was empty when I got there, much to my dismay. I had been hoping Madi would be here so I could talk to her about what Harry had said. I dumped my books next to my bed with a sigh before deciding to try and find her. I peeked back into the Common Room but couldn't see her sitting with the other girls by the fire, so headed for the boys dorms. Thankfully, the door was open and I spotted Madi and Blaise lounging on his bed and immediately ran over, flopping down on my stomach in the space that remained.

"Oh, please...come in," Blaise said drily, but I could tell he was smirking in amusement without even having to look up. The two of them were very used to me invading their alone time.

"What's happened?" Madi questioned, giving my head a little pat.

"I hate feelings, and I hate the two of you for convincing me to feel them," I grumbled into the mattress.

"You know, blaming us for all your problems is starting to get a little old," Blaise sighed in irritation, Madi shushed him before giving my arm a little tug in encouragement.

"Talk to us."

I sat up with a sigh, Madi was sitting with her head in Blaise's lap already, so I moved to lay on my back and rest my head on her stomach - and she immediately started running her fingers through my hair.

"Harry said Fred thinks I'm hiding something from him."

Blaise snorted, "You are hiding several things from him."

"Blaise," Madi hissed, looking at him in disapproval.

"No," I said glumly, "He's right - I am. And I don't like it, but I just feel like telling him the truth would be worse…"

"Well I understand why for most of them..." Madi said.

"The Malfoy parts," Blaise added, once again unhelpfully - making me regret ever finally filling him in on what had been going on with me and the blonde.

"This is why we don't invite you to girl talk," Madi echoed my thoughts exactly.

Blaise looked affronted, earning a small giggle from me and a final warning look from his girlfriend to behave. He looked disgruntled but fell silent.

"But why haven't you told him about the lake?" she continued gently.

I frowned a little, I wasn't really sure why I hadn't. To be completely honest, I didn't actually have the desire to tell him. I didn't want anyone else to know, it was like my own special moment with my mother and I didn't want to risk anyone telling me it wasn't real.

"I don't know... maybe because I know he'd tell me I have to tell my dad and Harry? Besides, I don't even know what I'd tell him, I've barely come to terms with what happened myself."

"Do you think there's things he doesn't tell you?" Blaise asked.

I thought for a moment, my mind travelling back to him and George not telling me about their plan to take bets for the Tournament - and I knew something was up between them and Bagman too.

"Yeah...maybe some things."

"Well, do you think it's a problem that you both keep secrets from each other?"

"I am never letting you come to girl talk again," Madi glared, but Blaise only rolled his eyes in response.

"This is exactly why I need to be here; I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear I'm gonna tell you the fucking truth."

I let out a groan, "So you think I should tell him?"

"Actually," Blaise said carefully, "I don't…" I turned to look at him incredulously, and Madi looked like she could murder her boyfriend on the spot. "You've kept these secrets for so long I think it would be more damaging to tell him now."

"That was my thought process in the first place," I sighed, "I knew it would hurt him more to tell him the truth…"

"Self-preservation my dear," he responded with a light smirk, "Sometimes you're better off with a lie."

Any further discussion was abruptly cut off as Malfoy and Theodore both strolled into the room, not even giving the fact Madi and I were there a second glance. It didn't really matter though - I agreed with Blaise. If I told Fred I knew it would only hurt him now, and that wasn't what I wanted at all.

"You finally got your girl-talk, Zabini?" Malfoy remarked with a smirk, flopping lazily on his own bed and loosening his tie.

"Not all it's cracked up to be," Blaise responded drily.

"I won't bother you next time then," I huffed.

"Please, I just gave you the best advice of your bloody life."

"You're a twat," I turned to glare at him, and he immediately reached over Madi to start tickling my side.

"Don't fight when I'm in the middle of you!" Madi yelled, rolling out of the way as I squealed in protest and started trying to whack him away from me.

"I don't know why I ever come in here expecting peace and quiet," Theo commented drily, but watching the two of us with a smirk anyway.

"In our own dorm?" Malfoy exclaimed sarcastically, "What a concept…"

By this point, Blaise had successfully managed to get the upper hand and threw me easily over his shoulder.

"ZABINI!"

"Admit my advice is incredible," he demanded, poking my side for good measure.

"Never," I said stubbornly, "Put me down!"

"Never," he mocked, I could hear both Malfoy and Theodore sniggering from over his shoulder.

"Put her down babe, she's too stubborn to ever admit that," Madi sighed, far too practiced in dealing with the two of us acting like this.

"Fine," Blaise conceded, before throwing me back onto the bed.

"You didn't have to throw me, you git!" I kicked my leg out, but he dodged it with a laugh - looking incredibly pleased with himself.

"These things wouldn't happen to you if you weren't so short, CB." Theo smirked, only looking more smug when I glared at him coldly.

"I'm not even that short…" I grumbled, crossing my arms with a pout.

"Can we go to dinner now?" Madi said in irritation, "You two are giving me a fucking headache."

"Well, we know Zabini isn't getting lucky tonight now."

I burst out laughing as my two friends simultaneously drew their wands and fired a stun at Malfoy - who toppled off his bed onto the floor with a thud.

"You'll both pay for that!" he growled, standing up again with a fierce glare.

"I feel much better now," I remarked, turning to head down to dinner. I tuned out the argument that began between Blaise and Malfoy as we walked - feeling considerably lighter than I had when I'd first walked into the dorm room.

* * *

"I'm just saying, I think that blowing up Filch's office is so effective it doesn't need any modification!" I pushed open the door of Zonko's, looking over my shoulder at my boyfriend who was shaking his head in disagreement.

"New is always better. He practically expects his office to be blown up at this point!"

"But he reacts exactly the same every time," I argued as we walked back out into the sun, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

Fred smiled down at me in amusement, "I'm not changing your mind, am I?"

"Nope, the blowing up of Filch's office is basically a family tradition at this point."

He laughed, "Fair enough then."

I smiled as the two of us continued down the street of Hogsmeade. Despite all my worries, today had been practically perfect, there was no indication from my boyfriend to show he thought we weren't okay, and it made me feel relieved.

"I'm glad we got to spend the day together today," he broke me out of my thoughts, and I smiled up at him.

"Me too."

"I feel like I've barely seen you lately," he continued.

"You know how it's been this year, I'm a little bit all over the place," I shrugged apologetically.

"Right," he nodded, a slight frown on his face - he looked conflicted, like he wasn't sure if he should say what he was about to say, and I immediately felt nervous. Maybe I had spoken too soon...

"You'd tell me if it were more than that, wouldn't you?"

I stopped, moving to stand on the side of the path and smiling at him as reassuring as I could, "Of course." Liar.

"I just feel like you've been acting strange ever since the second task," he studied me carefully, "Did something happen?"

"What could have happened? I was unconscious in a lake," I fidgeted, avoiding his gaze.

"Cass, I know you're keeping things from me," he let out a sigh, and I turned back to look at him slightly accusingly.

"Well, you keep things from me too," I shot back, irritated at him talking down to me like I was the only one keeping secrets.

"Like what?" he seemed surprised.

"Like you and George taking bets on this tournament - and don't think I haven't noticed something weird going on between the two of you and Bagman!"

He rolled his eyes a little, "That doesn't have anything to do with you, you don't need to worry about it."

I scoffed, crossing my arms and looking away from him again - but he wasn't done, staring down at me determinedly.

"I know whatever it is you're keeping from me is way more important. It makes me feel like you don't trust me!"

"I trust you," I said automatically, my eyes widening, "Of course I do…"

"Then tell me," he demanded.

I hesitated, I could see how frustrated this was making him, and there was no way he was going to believe me if I said there really was nothing going on. But as I looked back at him, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"I don't know what else you want me to say," I said finally.

"The truth would be nice," he sounded defeated, and my heart ached as I looked at him - pleading with my eyes for him to just let it go.

"I don't know what more you want me to do, Cass. When have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?"

"You haven't," I shook my head, "I do Fred, I just don't want to hurt you."

"You are hurting me," he said back automatically, making me flinch, "It feels like we're having the same argument, like you still don't want to let me in..."

"I'm trying," I said desperately, my mind starting to race from how quickly this fight had escalated.

"Are you?"

"I don't want to do this right now," I pleaded.

"Right," he looked at me, shaking his head in disbelief, "Well let me know when honesty works for you then."

"Fred!" He ignored as I called after him, trudging back towards the castle without another word. I let out a frustrated sigh, turning and continuing back down the path.

I felt awful. I felt guilty for lying, and even worse now that he knew I was lying to him. How much longer could I go on keeping secrets from him and pretending like it didn't matter? Before I'd even realised where I'd been going, I reached the Three Broomsticks and pushed the door open. I quickly scanned the packed pub - spotting Theo and Malfoy in a booth up the back. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting at a table next to them, looking a little put out not to just be in the booth with them.

"Please tell me there is more than just Butterbeer in these mugs," I said bluntly, sliding in across from them.

"Do you even have to ask?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow, the two of them looking a little surprised to see me.

I didn't respond, downing a mug in one go.

"Take it easy," Theo frowned in concern.

I ignored him, already picking up another mug, "Where is everyone?"

"Greengrass, Davis and Moon are here, they just went to the bathroom." Malfoy responded, exchanging a confused look with Theodore.

"What's wrong?" the latter seemed to finally work up the nerve to ask as I downed another drink.

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, making sure to glare at him harshly enough that he'd drop it, "I just want to get drunk."

"I don't think-"

Malfoy snorted - cutting Theo off, "Lay off Nott, she can get drunk if she wants."

Theodore looked like he wanted to protest more, but he didn't get a chance before Daphne, Tracey and Lillian re-appeared, the three of them greeting me with excited squeals – letting me know they were all at least a little tipsy themselves.

"Decide to ditch your boyfriend for us in the end?" Tracey smirked. I knew she was only making a joke - but I automatically tensed and took another big gulp of my drink.

"What happened?" Daphne asked immediately in concern.

"She doesn't want to talk about it," Theodore said drily before I could respond.

"Correct," I agreed, coughing a little as I put down another empty drink.

"Okay…" it was Lillian who stopped me from grabbing another mug, whacking my arm, "But wait until those hit you, remember how tiny you are Black. You'll have your head down the toilet all night if you aren't careful."

"At least it would be entertaining," Malfoy commented, ignoring the dirty looks both Daphne and Lillian shot him.

I ignored all of them, slumping back against the booth and letting out a long breath. Lillian was right - I already felt a bit dizzy.

"See, I told you," she smirked in triumph, taking a drink out of her own mug. I could still feel Daphne and Theodore watching me, but I pointedly continued to stare down at the table to let them know I was being serious about not wanting to talk about it.

"What's up assholes?" Blaise announced his and Madi's arrival, pulling up an extra chair for his girlfriend as he slid in next to Malfoy.

His eyes landed on me, and he raised his eyebrows questioningly, "Is she drunk? How long has she been here for?"

"Ten minutes probably," Malfoy replied in a bored tone, he seemed to be the only person at the table who wasn't trying to ridicule me for drinking away my problems.

"What happened?" Madi looked over in concern, and I let out a frustrated growl.

"The next person to ask me that is getting hexed."

"Fine," Blaise rolled his eyes, knowing they weren't going to get anywhere with me like this. "But you're cut off for at least an hour."

I wasn't sure how long we stayed for - but by the end we were all just as drunk as each other. I let myself forget about my argument with Fred and just enjoyed being with my friends. I couldn't remember that last time the group of us had just had fun together, everything had felt so complicated this year. It was nice to pretend everything was fine, even just for a few hours. It was almost dark by the time we finally started to make our way back to the carriages.

"Daphne!" Lillian protested for the third time since we'd been walking, and I looked over my shoulder to see her and Tracey stopping the blonde from falling flat on her face - also for the third time.

"You know," Madi wrapped an arm around my waist and leant her head on my shoulder as we walked, "I am going to make you tell me what happened with you and Weasley earlier."

"Not yet," I moaned, resting my head on top of hers.

"Hurry up!" Blaise called from where the boys were walking a little ahead of us, looking back at where Tracey and Lillian were still struggling with Daphne, "If we miss this last lot of carriages, we'll have to walk the whole way back!"

"You could help us you know!"

Madi and I laughed at Lillian's frustrated tone, Madi straightening up again and linking her arm with mine instead.

"How did Daphne end up being more drunk than you in the end?" she questioned.

"I got cut off for an hour, remember?" I replied, glaring pointedly at Blaise's back.

"You're welcome," he shot back without even turning around. Madi giggled as I stuck my tongue out childishly, before collapsing into giggles alongside her. I was definitely at least still a little tipsy, despite Blaise's attempts to sober me up.

"You two always laugh like maniacs when you drink," Theodore turned to face us, shaking his head as we tried to control ourselves.

"That's because I'm hilarious, Nott," I shot back with a wink. He rolled his eyes and turned back around as Madi and I re-collapsed into giggles.

We reached the carriages, and all glanced behind us to see the other two girls still struggling to pull Daphne up the path.

"Why does Greengrass always turn into a liability?" Malfoy questioned in annoyance.

"You guys go," Theo sighed, nodding to the carriage behind us, "I'll wait for those three and take the next one with them."

"Works for me," Blaise quipped, he and Malfoy climbing into the carriage without a second thought.

"No, you go Theo - I'll wait," I said quickly, keen to stay out of the castle and avoid seeing Fred for as long as I could.

Unluckily for me, my best friend knew exactly what I was doing and shot me a glare, "Nice try. We'll meet you back there, Nott."

I sighed in defeat, letting Madi push me into the carriage and sitting down as it pulled away.

"I'm starving," Blaise stated, and Madi nodded in agreement.

I pulled my legs up and twisted so my back was against the side of the carriage, stretching my legs out over Madi. I hadn't realised how tired I was.

"I'm exhausted."

"That's what happens when you're a lightweight," Malfoy smirked.

"And drink too fast for your tiny body weight," Blaise added.

"Speaking of-"

"Still don't want to talk about it Onyx, do not ruin my good mood," I cut my best friend off with a glare, but she glared right back at me – looking determined.

"I've let you get drunk and avoid it all afternoon, now I want answers!"

"I said no," I growled, closing my eyes and letting my head rest against the carriage.

"Cassie-"

"Salazars spit Onyx, leave her alone," I opened my eyes, looking at Malfoy in slight surprise when he was the one to cut her off, "Even I know not to push her right now."

"Because you've gotten to know her so well this year huh..." Madi muttered under her breath. I looked back at her with wide eyes while Malfoy glared fiercely at her.

Blaise let out a groan, "Please do not start an argument while we are in an enclosed space, or I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

Madi and Malfoy glared at each other for a few more moments but didn't say anything further. As we continued back to the castle, I snuck a glance at Malfoy. Surprisingly, he'd been the only person who hadn't annoyed me all day. I looked away again with a small frown, the last thing I needed right now was to be thinking anything about him.

By the time we got out of the carriages, I could feel the alcohol starting to wear off and a headache coming on in its place.

"I'm going back to the dorms," I said when we reached the Great Hall, "I need to lie down for a bit."

"But…"

"Madi," Blaise thankfully came to my rescue, grabbing his girlfriend's hand, "Leave it alone."

Madi rolled her eyes, giving me one more look to let me know this wasn't over, before the two of them headed into the hall.

"You know the only reason they have to annoyingly push you like that is because if they don't, you'd never tell anyone anything."

I turned to glare at Malfoy, "Like I would ever tell you anything, anyway."

"I was the only one who didn't push you today," he shot back, "I just let you throw yourself your little pity party."

I let out a scoff and then turned away, starting back towards the Common Room, "That's because you don't care, Malfoy."

"You know," I rolled my eyes, not even surprised when he followed me, "Sooner or later you're going to have to stop being such a child all the time, and deal with your problems instead of ignoring them."

"I've sobered up too much to be able to deal with you acting like you know me right now," I snapped.

"I do know you."

I whirled around to face him, fixing him with a glare, "You don't, even though you infuriatingly pretend to all the time!"

He simply smirked, "Whatever you want to believe, Black."

I narrowed my eyes, fully intending on losing my shit at him - but I never got the chance, my eyes widening instead when I spotted the last person I wanted to see right now heading towards the Great Hall, probably looking for me.

"Shit!" I quickly grabbed Malfoy's arm and yanked him around the corner. I did not need my boyfriend finding me talking to him on top of everything else that had happened today.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Shut up!" I hissed, peeking back around the corner and sighing in relief when I saw Fred disappearing into the hall.

"Like I said," Malfoy drawled, peering over my shoulder and realising who I'd dragged him out of sight of, "You're a child."

"Shut up," I said again quietly, leaning against the wall with a sigh.

Surprisingly, he did as I asked and didn't say anything else - moving to lean on the wall next to me instead.

"Well, this feels familiar," I stated, staring up at the roof and trying to ignore my heart starting to race when I thought about the last time the two of us had been in this situation. We hadn't had any one-on-one conversations since the last time before the Second Task, mostly due to me doing everything I could to make sure we didn't.

"What did you and lover boy fight about this time anyway?" he responded, sounding like he couldn't care less.

"Do you really think I'm going to talk to you of all people about that?" I scoffed.

"You really hate me that much?" his tone was mocking, but as I looked over to face him again I could tell he wasn't really sure of my answer. I couldn't keep going on pretending there wasn't something different between us, and maybe I finally needed to try and figure out exactly what it was - even if it terrified me.

"No," I said slowly, quickly looking away from him again when his eyebrows raised slightly in shock at my words, "You were right, I don't hate you."

He pushed off the wall, moving to stand in front of me and crossing his arms triumphantly, "I knew you'd admit it eventually."

"But I don't trust you," I added quickly, feeling satisfied when his smirk faltered just a little, "You can't just expect me to forget everything you've done in the past."

"So, what then?" he challenged with a scowl, obviously disappointed I wasn't admitting everything he probably thought I was going to. How could I? I still had no idea what I felt. I was pretty sure we were only even having this conversation right now because both of us were still a little tipsy and weren't thinking straight.

I studied him for a moment, before a small smile flickered onto my face and I stepped forward – holding out my hand.

"Friends?"

He glanced at my hand, and then back at me with raised eyebrows but made no move to respond.

I let out a sigh, "If you want me to trust you, we have to start by trying to at least be friends. Don't you think that's fair?"

He frowned, staring at me for a few more moments before a smirk re-appeared on his face, "Fine."

I looked back at him expectantly, and he rolled his eyes a little before stepping forward and taking my hand in his and shaking it.

"Good," I said, stepping back quickly and trying to stop my cheeks from heating up. Damn him.

"You really should talk to Zabini and Onyx," he said as he stepped out from around the corner, rolling his eyes a little at me when I made sure to check the hallway was still empty before I followed him.

"Why's that?" I raised my eyebrows, a little surprised.

He scowled, "Because if you don't neither of them will shut up about it, which will be very annoying for me."

"Hmm," a small smile played on my lips as we started walking back down to the dungeons, "Careful Malfoy, almost sounds like you care."

"You're obviously still drunk."

"I must be, otherwise I don't know why I'd be bothering to talk to you," I shot back without missing a beat.

"Ouch, is that any way to treat a friend?"

"I already regret ever suggesting it in the first place," we'd almost made it back to the Common Room by this point, surprisingly I felt much better than I had when I'd first arrived back at the castle. I was not about to let that show though, Malfoy didn't need a bigger head than he already had.

He looked like he was about to shoot something back but paused - a devious smirk coming over his features instead as he gazed down the corridor towards the portrait.

"Evening Weasley."

My eyes widened when I also noticed my boyfriend waiting just by the Common Room - now openly glaring back at the blonde still next to me.

"If what we just discussed means anything to you at all - you will walk away from this right now," I looked up at Malfoy as Fred started towards us.

He stared back at me with a frown, obviously not keen on missing out on an opportunity to taunt my boyfriend. It felt like I was testing him - giving him a chance to prove if anything this year had been real or that he really would never change.

For a moment I thought he wasn't going to listen to me - but then his eyes flickered with some sort of understanding and he fixed a small smirk on his face. Then, without a single word to Fred he sauntered back towards the portrait.

Fred watched him go, looking slightly surprised but still glaring at him as he walked - before facing me.

"Hi," I said weakly.

"I've been looking for you," he sighed, and exactly as I had predicted he did not look happy to have found me in the company of Malfoy.

"I only just got back," I responded honestly, "I have a headache, so I just wanted to lie down for a while."

"Where were you all day?" he questioned with a frown, his face darkening, "With Malfoy?"

"I was with all of them," I said quickly, Fred still letting out an irritated sigh, "We just all got split up on the way back. Daphne needed to be carried, and Blaise and Madi were hungry…"

"Carried?" a small smirk flickered on his face, and I relaxed a little.

"Yeah, the girl really can't handle her Firewhiskey."

"Sounds like someone else I know," he said fondly, scanning me up and down quickly, "You seem to be on two feet though."

"Well if Blaise hadn't cut me off I probably wouldn't be."

It was meant to be a joke, but his face immediately dropped again - probably realising the reason why I'd decided to get drunk in the first place.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, "I wish I had more answers for you Fred, but all I can tell you is that I'm sorry and you have to believe that I trust you - because I do. But there's just some things I'm not ready to share and I don't know if I ever will be. Can you be okay with that?"

He sighed, looking conflicted before he finally gave a small nod.

Relief washed over me, and I stepped forward and let him hug me tightly.

"I'm sorry too," he murmured, "If you don't think I need to know, then I have to trust you on that too."

My heart sank a little, "I promise it has nothing to do with you or us." Liar.

We pulled away so I could lean up and press my lips against his gently, and I couldn't help but relax as I did so. He always had a way of making me feel safe, and that was something I never wanted to lose.

"You know I only get upset because I care about you so much, right?" he said as we pulled away.

"I know," I nodded, "I care about you too, even if I'm awful at showing it sometimes."

"Well," his eyes glinted mischievously, all ill feelings between us seemingly resolved, "If I remember correctly from the map - which I can assure you I do - there's a portrait just over here we can slip behind and you can try and show me a little better."

I grinned as he started to pull me down the corridor, "You're a terrible influence Fred Weasley."

"Says the Slytherin," he teased.

"Oh, shut up," I rolled my eyes slightly, laughing as I gave him a light shove into the alcove.


	12. The Sweetest Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we go! These next couple of chapters are probably my favourite in the entire story - so buckle up!

I was in a good mood the following Monday; I'd had an un-interrupted nap during History of Magic and had successfully banished my object in Charms (right into the back of Ernie MacMillan's head as an added bonus). So, by the time we headed down to Care of Magical Creatures after lunch I was confident not even whatever weird creature Hagrid had for us today would ruin my mood.

"Did you hear apparently Granger got hate mail this morning?" Daphne asked me as we walked.

"She what?" I frowned in confusion, glancing in the direction of the greenhouse and seeing Harry and Ron coming from Herbology - with no Hermione in sight.

"Probably because of her skank ways," Pansy remarked snarkily from behind us, "A lot of people read Witch Weekly, you know."

We both ignored her, exchanging an eye roll before I sped up to catch the two Gryffindors as we reached Hagrid's cabin.

"Is it true people were sending Hermione hate mail?"

They both nodded, "Yeah, most of them were harmless - but someone sent an envelope full of undiluted Bubotuber pus. She's been in the Hospital Wing all morning," Harry replied grimly.

My eyes widened, "You're joking! That's awful…"

"We warned her about Skeeter," Ron said, "It's only gonna get worse I reckon."

"I don't know how it could be worse than her hands being covered in sores," Harry grimaced at the memory.

"Yeah, you're right." Ron agreed - looking slightly sick, "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

And suddenly - it hit me. My face lit up, and both boys looked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh no," Harry groaned, "We've just given you an idea haven't we?"

I grinned, "Nothing that you need to be concerned about. Just something that is extremely overdue."

Harry looked like he wanted to protest - but Hagrid drew our attention before he could. For a horrible moment I thought he'd brought his Skrewts back, but then relaxed when I realised the crates held an array of fluffy black creatures instead.

"Thes're Nifflers," Hagrid explained, "Yeh find 'em down mines - they like sparkly stuff, see!"

A Niffler had attempted to steal a sparkly bracelet from Parkinson's wrist - who shrieked and jumped away like it had attacked her. I grinned; I think I was going to like this lesson.

"All righ', I've buried some coins around - e'ryone grab a Niffler and whoever's digs up the most gets a prize!"

There was a mad scramble for the crates, most of the girls cooing and exclaiming how cute they were as they ran towards them. I peered into the crate and picked one out, and it immediately stretched its long snout out and sniffed my face.

"I want one," I giggled, leaning away as it continued to snuffle loudly.

"Yer dad'd go mad, they wreck houses Nifflers," Hagrid grinned as everyone set their Niffler down and watched as they started to bury into the ground enthusiastically - I let mine down as well and it immediately dug into the ground at my feet. I glanced around and saw pretty much the entire class was grinning as the little creatures dug enthusiastically and then returned gold coin after gold coin to their laps.

"Nice one Hagrid," I shot him a wink, and he beamed back at me - ever since Skeeter's articles he'd been much more stressed about everyone enjoying his lessons.

"'Ang on," he said a couple of minutes later, looking around with a deep frown, "Where's 'Ermione?"

Harry looked up from the ground for a moment, "She had to go to the Hospital Wing, we'll explain later," he said quietly, obviously as aware as I was that Parkinson was straining to listen to our conversation.

"Bloody hell Ron, yours is well good!" Seamus exclaimed, and I looked over at Ron to see his lap practically overflowing with gold - the redhead looking incredibly pleased.

"Probably the most gold he's ever seen," I heard Malfoy mutter, Crabbe and Goyle both snorting with laughter in response. Thankfully, I don't think Ron heard him as his smile didn't even falter - but I still made sure to shoot the blonde a glare. He seemed to be one of the only ones who wasn't impressed by the lesson, lounging lazily on the grass and all but ignoring his Niffler as it diligently worked. He must have felt me glaring at him, because his eyes moved over and met my own. He simply raised his eyebrows with a smirk when he noticed my fierce expression - and I turned away quickly when I felt my cheeks growing hot.

"I reckon they've nearly got the lot," Hagrid examined the ground, "I on'y buried a hundred coins - oh, there y'are 'Ermione!"

I glanced up and saw Hermione was in fact walking towards us, her hands were all bandaged up and she looked miserable. I narrowed my eyes when Gorgia and Pansy immediately started whispering and giggling together, but Hermione ignored them as she came over to stand near us.

Hagrid got everyone to count their coins - most of us having a good laugh when Goyle tried to pocket his only to have Hagrid inform him it was Leprechaun gold, so it would just disappear later. Ron's Niffler had ended up being the most successful by far, and he was rewarded with a huge block of Honeydukes chocolate. The bell rang for lunch; most of the class setting off back to the castle but I hung back with Harry, Ron and Hermione to help Hagrid put the Nifflers back.

"What happened to yer 'ands 'Ermione?" Hagrid asked in concern.

"Hate mail," she responded miserably, "Someone sent a letter full of Bubotuber pus."

"Ah," Hagrid nodded in understanding, "Don' worry, I got letters like tha' after Skeeter wrote her article on me. They're jus' nutters 'Ermione, don' open em if yeh get any more."

We all said our goodbyes to Hagrid, before heading back up to the castle.

"You missed a good lesson," I said sympathetically to Hermione, the two of us walking behind the boys, "How bad was the pain?"

She looked at me curiously, "Why are you asking?"

"Just concerned," I responded innocently, "I wouldn't want you to be in pain Hermione, you're my friend."

She didn't look completely convinced; she knew me well enough to know if I wanted information like that it was probably for the wrong reasons.

"I guess it was pretty awful...I wouldn't want to experience it again," she responded anyway as we walked into the Great Hall.

"Good to know," I smirked slightly, ignoring the disapproving look she sent me as I parted ways with the three of them and headed for my own table.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" Daphne asked as I sat down, looking at me suspiciously.

"What look?" I responded innocently.

"That's the look you get when you've just had an idea for a prank," Theodore answered for her with a sigh.

"So, what is it then?" Tracey inquired curiously.

"I have no clue what any of you are talking about," I continued to act oblivious.

"Whatever it is, just warn us in advance so we can hide yeah?" Blaise smirked, and I simply shot him a wink in response.

"I think you'll enjoy this one."

Any further discussion or disapproval was cut short when Madi let out a frustrated growl and ripped a letter in half before tossing it on her empty plate angrily.

"What is it this time?" Blaise asked knowingly, and I immediately looked at my best friend in sympathy. We had known it was from her parents as soon as it had arrived during breakfast that morning – the seal was painfully recognisable.

"The nerve on my mother," Madi hissed through her teeth, "Apparently my 'presence is required home' for Easter break this year. She's never wanted me home for Easter once in her life…"

"Did she say why?" I questioned with a frown, the rest of the table had filtered back into their own conversations with only Blaise and I still paying attention to her.

"No, she never does. Just subtly implies I have no choice," Madi sighed irritably, Blaise reached over and squeezed her hand comfortingly – the two of us exchanging a slight worried look.

"Well are you going home?" he then turned to me, "Coz there's no way I'm staying here if both of you are going."

I snorted, "Do you really think I could get away with not going home this year?"

"Fair enough," he shrugged, "Guess we're all having Easter at home, then."

"Wait," Lillian tuned back in, "You aren't staying this year?" While most members of our house went home for Easter break - due to most of them being purebloods and their families expecting it - the majority of our little group stayed here. We always had so much homework in this break it almost didn't feel like one sometimes, add to the fact the Common Room was considerably emptier and it was even more fun. Usually only Malfoy and Daphne ended up going home as their families requested them to do so, but it had become kind of an Easter tradition for the other six of us to spend Easter together.

"Mads and I don't really have a choice," I responded with a shrug.

"That's depressing," Tracey frowned, "Who's going to hide all the exploding eggs in Parkinson and Avery's beds?"

"My favourite Easter tradition," I said with a wistful smile, ignoring the seething look Pansy was now shooting me from next to her boyfriend.

"I don't know why you even stay here," Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Why would you want to stay at school more than you have to?"

"Some of us would rather be here than with our families," Theodore muttered, Madi and Blaise nodding in agreement.

"I always have way more fun here," Lillian agreed, "Besides, more people stay behind for Easter than go home. Practically all the fifth years and above because it's so close to N.E.W.T's and O.W.L's."

"Well, some of us like going home," Daphne said indignantly, seemingly offended by the whole conversation.

"Lucky you," Madi mumbled under her breath, earning her a dirty look from Daphne.

"Can we be expecting your new brilliant idea before or after break then?" Tracey turned back to me, her eyes twinkling.

I smirked, "Why ruin the surprise?"

The collective groan I received only further excited me. This was one act of revenge I was going to enjoy very much.

* * *

The timing actually worked out quite well in the end. I figured if I left it as late as possible I could escape any risk of retaliation for at least two weeks while we were on break. So, that was why as we all made our way down to breakfast on the last day of classes for the term I was grinning like a maniac - and it did not go unnoticed by my friends.

"Just a hint, please?" Lillian was begging as we walked, but I shook my head with a giggle.

"Trust me Moon, it will be worth the wait."

"Is it happening at breakfast? In classes?"

I simply shook my head again, still not being able to help the smile on my face as we all took our seats.

"This is about Avery, isn't it?" Madi said to me quietly, her eyes glinting knowingly. I shot her a wink in response, and she smirked in amusement – looking very pleased she would finally get what's coming to her.

"I still don't think it was the best idea for you to retaliate," Blaise – who had obviously heard his girlfriend's question from her other side – leaned back to look at me, "What if she just comes back at you harder? She's clearly shown what she's capable of."

"She can't do anything worse to me, Zabini." I shot back with a small glare, and he relented – sitting forward again with a sigh. I had no intention of just letting her get away with what she'd done.

"Tell me you haven't done something stupid." Malfoy spoke up in a low voice.

"I haven't done something stupid." I shot back automatically, turning to look at the blonde across from me.

He rolled his eyes, "Let me rephrase, tell me you haven't done something any rational person would consider stupid?"

I smirked, "I could. But I'd be lying."

His face darkened, "Just leave it alone Black, she's barely spoken two words to you since Christmas. Why can't you just leave it at that?"

I glowered back at him, "Because she's only left it alone because she thinks she's beaten me, and I will not let her think she has."

"Your stubbornness will get you killed one day," he hissed back.

"Sweet that you care."

Blaise and Madi were both rolling their eyes at us, but before Malfoy could retort any further the beautiful sound of the morning post arriving pulled my attention away. I watched the owls fly in eagerly, not being able to stop the grin from growing on my face.

"It is happening now!" Lillian exclaimed excitedly, noticing my expression right away.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Malfoy said one more time, but I ignored him - I was far too excited for what was about to happen. I spotted Gorgia Avery sitting just down the table, chatting away to the Carrow twins and shooting not at all subtle glances towards where Malfoy was. Daphne had informed me Gorgia had figured Malfoy would have gone running back to her by this point - and was getting increasingly agitated that he hadn't. It had actually been a common topic of discussion between the girls in my house lately, all of them were just as surprised as Avery that he was holding firm on their 'break up'. Luckily, none of them had made any connection to me in the situation.

But, the whole thing had turned out to become very helpful to my plan.

I moved my eyes back down to my plate just as I saw the owl drop a neatly wrapped box on Gorgia's plate, not wanting to give her any ideas on where it might have come from.

"Ooh what is that?" Flora Carrow squealed.

"It says 'from your secret admirer'," Millicent Bulstrode read, practically swooning.

Blaise almost choked on his pumpkin juice as I hid my smile behind my own goblet - sipping it carefully. Malfoy was glowering at me, already knowing exactly where Gorgia's mind was going to go.

As predicted, she looked down the table towards us - her eyes glinting triumphantly, "Draco! You shouldn't have."

"I didn't," he snapped back automatically, "Not really my style."

His eyes flickered onto me momentarily, his smirk returning to his face - and I took another big gulp of my drink to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"So, it's a mystery suitor then," Flora remarked. Gorgia looked a little disappointed that it hadn't been Malfoy - but thankfully didn't let that deter her from her eagerness to receive such a gift.

"Ha! You aren't the only one who can get mystery presents, Black," she called down to me snarkily.

"Lucky you," I responded drily, popping a grape into my mouth and not even glancing in her direction.

"Is that going to explode?" Theodore asked quietly, eyeing the situation warily from the corner of his eye.

"You said you would warn us if we got in the crosshairs!" Tracey hissed, looking ready to duck under the table if need be.

I didn't need to respond to her, Gorgia suddenly letting out a screech as she finally opened the box and it promptly exploded with a small 'boom' - as promised affecting no one else but her.

"Do I win a prize?" Theo drawled, shaking his head as we all watched the small cloud of smoke engulf the still screaming brunette.

"After all that, that's it?" Lillian looked disappointed.

"Wait for it," I smirked, watching in amusement as the Carrows waved their hands around her in horror helping to clear some of the smoke.

Daphne was sitting the closest to her out of all of us - and her horrified gasp was what let me know it had worked perfectly.

"Oh my," was all Millicent could get out as the entire table stared open mouthed at the brunette, who was still screaming but now grabbing at her forehead.

"What the HELL is on my face? IT STINGS!"

"Black..." Blaise breathed, his eyes wide - not being able to stop the grin from spreading onto his face, "Have I ever told you you're my favourite person?"

Spelled across Gorgia Avery's forehead - made out of exploding Bubotuber pus - were sores spelling out the word 'SKANK'.

"Brilliant," Lillian grinned, Tracey hiding her head in her hands to try and conceal her laughter.

"Since she seems to like to call me one so often," I said coolly, buttering another piece of toast like this was just a regular morning.

Gorgia was still screaming, at some point one of the Carrows had handed her a mirror - and the fury set on her face once she realised what exactly was on her forehead, looking down the table to glare viciously right at me.

_"I know you did this!"_

"I have no idea what you're on about, Avery," I smiled back innocently, "I had absolutely nothing to do with this."

"Liar!" she yelled back; her face almost as red as the sores on her head.

"You know, something like this just happened to Granger…" I pretended to ponder, "Although her attack didn't send as quite a specific message," I gazed back at her with a triumphant smirk. I wasn't daft, there was no way that she could trace this attack back to me. I had sent an unnamed owl, in unmarked post and had stolen the Bubotuber pus from the greenhouse under Harry's cloak. I had thought of everything, there was no chance I was going to risk screwing this one up.

"Come on Gorgia," it was Daphne who spoke up - shooting me a disappointed look as she did so, "I'll take you to see Madame Pomfrey."

Gorgia sent me one more threatening glare (which didn't really come across as threatening as she probably would have hoped due to the word still on her face) before following Daphne out of the hall, making sure to whine the whole way.

The rest of the table went back to their breakfast, and I noticed a lot of students from other houses had been watching as well. I caught Fred's eye as I glanced over at Gryffindor table, both him and George sending me a wink and subtle salute.

"You're asking for it now," Theodore warned, but even he couldn't keep the amused smirk off his face.

"Like I said," I took a bite of my toast, chewing proudly, "I had nothing to do with it."

"I'm so glad you're my best friend," Madi knocked my shoulder with her own gently, exchanging a quick grin with me.

Everyone returned their attention to finishing off breakfast and discussing Easter break, and I continued to eat my breakfast not being able to keep the triumphant smirk off my face. I snuck a look at Malfoy, wondering how mad he was going to be that I'd almost gotten him caught in the crosshairs - but was shocked when I saw him eating his own breakfast with a ghost of an amused look on his face.

I grinned, staring at him triumphantly, "Admit it. You thought that was funny."

He rolled his eyes slightly, "I think it was immature, and still ridiculously stupid of you to retaliate."

"Right, but what I'm not hearing is you saying you didn't enjoy it anyway?"

He didn't say anything, holding my gaze and taking a sip from his goblet. I grinned; he didn't need to respond - I already knew the answer.

* * *

"So, I'm guessing that little show at breakfast yesterday was your doing?" Harry asked me knowingly as we boarded the train the next morning.

I looked at him with a grin, "I can neither confirm nor deny that theory."

He snorted, rolling his eyes but still looking a little proud, "Hermione was well angry - she kept going on about how she knew she shouldn't have answered when you asked her how much pain she was in."

I scoffed, "She should be relieved, I could have done something much worse."

"She would have deserved it," Harry agreed angrily as we settled into a compartment, "I'm surprised you went so easy on her."

I shrugged, "It was simple, but effective."

"At least now I know why you wanted the cloak last week," he said. "Do you think you'll get caught?"

I shook my head, "She has no solid proof that it was me, besides - I honestly think Snape would let it slide anyway. He knows what she did to me first."

"Yeah, maybe." Harry didn't sound as convinced, but I wasn't surprised. I don't think Harry believes Snape was capable of any emotion other than disdain.

"I'm surprised they let you come home," I gazed out the window as the train started to pull away, "With the tournament and all."

"We don't even know what the next task is yet," he shrugged in response, "I suppose even champions deserve a break."

I laughed, "I guess so."

"It does feel weird coming home for Easter though," he admitted, "The only other year we've done that was first year."

I nodded, "I get why they wanted us to though, I think any moment James can have you near him right now he's taking."

Harry sighed, "We wrote to Percy the other day," I looked at him questioningly, "Just asking about Mr Crouch, where he is and all that…"

"Who knows?" I sighed with a small shrug, "Maybe he really has gone nuts like everyone says."

"Maybe," Harry mused, gazing out the window not looking very convinced.

We stayed mostly silent after that, playing a few rounds of Wizard Snap and swapping magazines to pass the time. I was spread out across the bench, dutifully starting work on the load of homework we'd been assigned for break when our attention was drawn by the compartment door opening.

"What do you want?" Harry immediately glowered, fixing a glare on a smirking Malfoy in the doorway.

"I'm not here for you, Pothead. I came to talk to Black," he turned to me, leaning casually on the side of the door.

I raised an eyebrow, making no move to get up, "What can I help you with Malfoy?"

His eyes flicked to Harry, "Privately."

Harry scoffed, crossing his arms and continuing to glare at Malfoy. I rolled my eyes, shoving my books to the side and standing up - giving Harry a reassuring look as I followed the blonde out into the corridor and closed the door behind us.

"This couldn't wait?"

He shook his head, pulling his hand out of the pocket of his robe and producing a shiny black envelope with my name engraved on the front - smirking smugly at me as he did so.

"What is this?" I questioned suspiciously, not moving to take it from him.

"Well," he said a little impatiently. "Every year us Malfoy's throw a little Easter shindig, because my mother will use any excuse to throw a ball. And seeing as you will actually be home for Easter this year I thought it only polite to extend an invitation."

I stared back at him incredulously, "You're inviting me to your ball?"

He rolled his eyes, "Technically it's my mothers."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or not," I continued to stare at him in shock. To be fair, ever since the last Hogsmeade trip when we had agreed to be friends, he had given me no reason to think that this invitation wouldn't be legit - but I was still struggling to not second guess everything he did.

"Why would I ask if I wasn't being serious?" he scowled, "I thought we were friends now, friends invite each other to things, don't they?"

I blinked at him a few more times, before hesitantly reaching out and taking the invitation from him. His smirk immediately fell back onto his face and he straightened up a little more, evidently pleased.

"I invited Zabini and Onyx, since they'll be home too. Greengrass will be there as well."

"I'll think about it," I responded, fiddling with the envelope a little bit.

"Don't have any ideas about plus ones," he drawled, "The invitation doesn't extend to any red-heads or chosen ones."

I rolled my eyes, "I figured as much. Fred's staying at Hogwarts anyway."

He looked even more smug, "Even better. I hope you decide to come, it will be nice to be able to dance with you without him interrupting."

"Malfoy!" I called warningly after him as he headed back down the corridor without another word, but he didn't even turn around. I rolled my eyes at his back, feeling my cheeks burning a little as I stared at the invitation in my hand. This had been a common occurrence lately, apparently to him us being friends meant he could subtly flirt with me whenever he wanted to. I hated to admit that most of the time he was damn good at it too.

Surely I couldn't even consider going. This was still Malfoy, and even if we were friends this seemed a little too nice for him still. Besides, I couldn't even imagine broaching the subject with Harry or my Dad - or having to tell Fred about it. Letting out a sigh, I decided to stop thinking about it for now and slipped the invite into my pocket before re-entering the compartment.

"What did he want?" Harry asked bitterly as I sat down again.

"Was just something about Potions," I responded, picking up the parchment I'd been working on before.

"It was so urgent he just had to ask you now?" Harry didn't seem convinced.

"Who knows how his brain works?"

"Hmm," Harry murmured, looking at me suspiciously for a few more moments before giving up and going back to his copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Anything about Hermione in there today?"

"Not today, doesn't matter though. She's already started a revenge rampage on Skeeter, she's convinced she's still getting into Hogwarts somehow," he responded with a small eye roll.

I snorted, "That girl needs to learn how to take a break every so often."

"You're telling me."

It was only another hour before the train pulled up at Platform 9¾, Harry and I gathering up all our stuff and making our way off the train. We spotted our dad's quickly, heading down the platform to meet them.

"Hi," I smiled happily when we did, letting my dad pull me in for a tight hug.

"How are you?" he asked when we pulled back, looking me up and down a little.

"Better than last time you saw me," I joked.

"Ah yes, you do look like less of a drowned rat this time," he said back with a grin, and I laughed along.

"I'm glad you're here," he said after we'd stopped laughing, smiling softly.

"Me too," I said, "Even if it feels weird. And don't be surprised if I spend the entire two weeks trying to do this ridiculous amount of homework they've set us!"

He looked offended, exchanging a mock horrified look with James, "Who's child is this?"

"Dad!" I protested, rolling my eyes a little as he and James roared with laughter.

"Seriously though," James agreed, his eyes twinkling, "I could count on one hand the times I saw your father ever doing homework."

"You wouldn't even need the whole hand."

Harry and I exchanged an exasperated look, choosing to ignore our fathers as we walked off the platform.

* * *

It was a week into break, and surprisingly I was glad that I had ended up coming home. My dad and I were staying with Harry and James in Godric's Hollow, and it felt much more like a holiday here than in London since there were so many muggle and wizard children in the village, so it was full of Easter decorations.

The only thing that was bothering me was Malfoy and his stupid ball. I had stashed the invite in my trunk, avoiding thinking about it as much as possible - but now the ball was only two days away and I still had no idea what I wanted to do. On one hand, part of me actually wanted to go. It would be nice to see my friends and have a fun night together, even if it was at Malfoy's. But the other part of me knew it was a terrible idea, and I still had no idea how I would bring up the subject with my dad or Harry - especially now that I've left it this late.

"Hedwig still hasn't come back," Harry pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked across the breakfast table to see him staring out the window with a frown.

"Percy's probably busy."

He snorted, "Or pretending to be. Maybe he did poison Mr Crouch, like the twins said."

"Who's poisoning Crouch?" James raised an eyebrow as he entered the kitchen.

"Percy Weasley," I replied with a smile, "To get his position."

"Ah, right. Sounds plausible," James responded, pulling up the chair next to Harry's.

"Maybe Hedwig took it back to Hogwarts cos Ron is there? We did send the letter together, and he's Percy's brother so it would make sense..." Harry pondered, not quite ready to give it up.

"Do you have separation anxiety from that owl or something?" I rolled my eyes, and he shot me a small glare.

"What's so important you need to hear from Percy, anyway?" James asked, biting back a laugh from my previous comment.

"We asked him if he knew where Mr Crouch was, why he's been ditching his tournament duties," Harry explained, finally turning away from the window.

"I still think they've thrown him in the loony bin," I muttered, sipping my coffee disinterestedly.

"Who's been thrown in the loony bin now?" my dad asked as he now entered the kitchen, raising a questioning eyebrow at me as he headed for the coffee pot.

"Barty Crouch apparently," James supplied.

"Which one?"

"What do you mean 'which one'?" Harry and I both sat up a little straighter, looking between our dads in confusion.

"Crouch's son was named after him," my dad explained, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"He has a son?" Harry looked surprised.

"Not anymore," James said grimly, "He died years ago, in Azkaban."

My eyes widened even more, my attention well and truly piqued, "Hold on, how did Crouch's son end up in Azkaban? And why don't we know about it?"

"It was a huge scandal back in the day," James continued. "He used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Crouch - tipped to be the next Minister even."

"When was this?" Harry asked, looking just as intrigued as me.

Our dad's exchanged a look, and they didn't need to say anything else for me to understand. I'd seen that look far too often.

"Last time," I supplied quietly, "Last time he was in power."

"How did you know?" my dad asked, eyebrows raised.

"The looks on your faces."

"You have to understand what it was like," James continued with a sigh, "Everyone was living in constant fear, there was so much about it all that was unknown. Crouch probably had the hardest job of anyone."

"He got a bit extreme," my dad frowned, his eyes getting a far off look in them as he reminisced, "He authorised for Aurors to kill on site, the use of Unforgivables…"

"That makes him as bad as them," Harry looked furious.

"Some said he was," James responded, looking solemn; "But other people agreed with him though, and after Voldemort disappeared it seemed like he really was going to be the next Minister…"

"But?" I raised an eyebrow, looking between the two Marauders.

"Something rather unfortunate happened," my dad was grim faced, "Crouch's own son turned out to be a Death Eater."

My eyes widened, exchanging a look with an equally as shocked Harry.

"So what? He tried to get his son off and everyone turned on him?" Harry questioned in confusion.

My dad snorted, James letting out a bitter laugh as well, "No, anything that threatened his reputation had to go, even his own son. He sent him straight to Azkaban."

"That's horrible," I managed to get out. "How could someone be cruel enough to send their own son to that place?"

"He died after a year," James said, "Then Crouch's wife died not long after - everyone said it was from grief. He lost everything, and he was nowhere near as popular as he used to be. Everyone always speculated he never cared enough for his son, and that's what drove him to it."

We stayed silent for a while. I couldn't help but think of my friends - would their rocky relationships with their parents ever drive them to the same position it had driven Crouch's son? I only hoped that they would never be faced with that choice, and that they would make the right one if they were. I felt my dad's eyes on me and turned to see him watching me with a knowing look, I shot him a small smile in reassurance, but I knew he understood what I was thinking about.

"Moody says he's obsessed with catching dark wizards," Harry said finally.

My dad nodded, looking back over at him, "I reckon he thinks if he catches one more Death Eater all will be forgiven."

"That's why he was sneaking around Snape's office then," Harry seemed triumphant, and I bristled.

"No, that doesn't make any sense actually," my dad frowned, cutting in before I could tell my godbrother off. "If Crouch wanted to investigate Snape why wouldn't he just show up at the tasks? It's the perfect excuse for him to be around and keep an eye on him."

"So, Snape is up to something?"

"Harry!" I snapped in frustration, not in the mood to rehash this particular argument right now.

"Just because you refuse to listen to the facts-"

"This isn't fact, it's all speculation! You're blinded by your ridiculous hatred!"

"You're blinded by the colour of your robes!"

"Harry," it was James who spoke up, looking at his son warningly and stopping me from leaping across the table at him.

"You can't think that he isn't up to something, he hates us!" Harry said back to his father in exasperation.

James pondered for a moment, looking between the two of us thoughtfully, "Snape and I have never gotten along and I doubt we will ever see eye to eye on anything, but even though he was a bit of a slimy git back in the day there were never even any rumours of him being a Death Eater."

"I highly doubt Dumbledore would ever hire him if there was," my dad added, "He made friends with a lot of people who did but that doesn't necessarily mean he followed suit. He's too much of a coward for that in my opinion."

"But-"

"If he's so evil, Harry - then why did he save your life as many times as he has? Why doesn't he hate me blindly just because he hates my dad?" I snapped, interrupting him.

"She has a point there," my dad spoke up before Harry could respond, "That's always surprised me - sometimes I reckon he hated me more than he hated Prongs."

"Hang on," James actually looked a little offended, "Let's not go that far, Padfoot."

Despite the cold conversation the two of them let out a little chuckle, but Harry and I refused to budge and continued to glare at each other across the table.

"Try not to think about all this too much, Harry," James said gently, trying to diffuse the tension, "You have enough to worry about already."

"Leave all the grown-up stuff to the grown-ups, yeah?" my dad winked, and Harry finally cracked a small smile.

"Maybe Percy knows more," he said half-heartedly, ending the conversation. I was still a little angry at him but knew it wasn't worth holding onto, Harry was never going to trust Snape and that was fine. But it didn't mean that I didn't, and I trusted that the man I knew would never be a Death Eater. It just didn't make sense to me.

* * *

Later that afternoon, I was sitting in the garden working on the last bit of my Charms essay when Harry came storming into the garden - stopping right in front of me and blocking the warm sun I had been enjoying.

"What the hell?" I questioned in irritation.

"When were you planning on mentioning Malfoy invited you to a ball?" he shot back, his eyes cold.

I stood up abruptly, "Did you go through my trunk?" I accused, choosing to ignore his initial question.

"I just wanted to use your notes from Potions, and I didn't think it would be an issue considering _we don't keep secrets_!"

"You still had no right!" I yelled angrily, staring him down.

"You didn't answer my question," Harry continued in a low tone, "When were you planning on mentioning your little invitation?"

"That's none of your business," I snapped, grabbing the parchment at my feet and pushing past him back inside.

"Since when does Malfoy invite you to balls?" Harry followed me in, not seeming like he was giving up any time soon.

"Since now apparently," I turned back around, dumping my books on the kitchen table.

"What?" he scoffed, "Are you two friends or something now?"

"So, what if we are? It would also be none of your business." This was not exactly how I'd envisioned this conversation going, I still hadn't even decided if I was going to bring it up at all.

Harry looked horrified, "You're joking right? He's an absolute prat, how could you ever be friends with him?"

I let out a sigh, "It's more complicated than that, Harry. You know it's easier if we get along, we're in the same bloody house for fuck's sake!"

"I don't want you to be friends with him," he shook his head, and I immediately narrowed my eyes - not the least bit happy with him telling me what to do.

"It's not up to you."

"I'm trying to protect you!"

"I don't need you to protect me! Especially from Malfoy, you have no idea what you're even talking about!"

"Apparently I don't! Fred was right then - you are keeping secrets!"

I immediately flinched, and the look on Harry's face let me know that was exactly what he'd been trying to achieve.

"Screw you," I bit out, before storming out without another word and up the stairs into his room - throwing myself on the mattress on the floor and letting out a frustrated scream into the pillow. This was exactly why I hadn't said anything to him in the first place, I knew exactly how he would react. I didn't blame him really, Malfoy was awful to him and the rest of them, but I wasn't about to let Harry dictate who I could be friends with.

I didn't lift my head when I heard footsteps approaching the doorway, "Go away Harry," I mumbled angrily into the pillow.

"Not Harry," I turned, seeing my dad walk in and sit down on Harry's bed - looking at me with an amused half-smirk.

"I'm guessing Harry filled you in?" I grumbled, sitting up and tucking my knees up to my chest.

"He didn't have to," my dad chuckled, "James and I heard the two of you screaming at each other just fine."

"He's being a git," I glared down at the mattress I was sitting on.

"He shouldn't have gone through your things..." he agreed.

I sighed, hearing how his tone drifted at the end of his sentence, "But?"

"You can understand why he's upset, can't you?" he continued, "And he was right about one thing, since when do the two of you keep secrets?" The comment stung more than it should have, if only he knew what other secrets I was keeping.

I rested my chin on my knees and looked up at him, "I only didn't say anything because I knew this was how he was going to react."

"It's only because he cares," my dad said gently, looking meaningfully at me, "Do you want to go?"

"No," I said, then sighed, "Maybe? I don't know…" I glanced at him again, "You probably think I shouldn't, right?"

He raised an eyebrow, "When have I ever stopped you from doing anything?"

I smiled softly, "Never."

"Look kid, you do what you want to do. Don't let what Harry or I think make the decision for you. If you really want to go you should."

I let out a long sigh, "Is it bad I kind of hoped you'd forbid me from going so I wouldn't have to decide?"

He laughed, reaching out his hand and pulling me up, "You think I didn't know that?" I ducked out of the way as he tried to ruffle my hair, exclaiming in protest.

"Are you and Malfoy really friends?" he questioned as I finally straightened up, a small frown on his face.

"It's complicated," I repeated with a sigh, not really wanting to get into the subject right now - which he must have understood, because he simply nodded.

"Just be careful."

"I always am," I gave him an assuring smile, before the two of us headed out of the room and made our way back downstairs. My dad was right, it shouldn't matter what anyone else wanted me to do. If I wanted to go I should go - what's the worst that could happen anyway?


	13. One Step at A Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This ones a doozy you guys...I apologize in advance.
> 
> Also, just a little side note - I've had a couple of people mention on here and on Fanfic.net where I'm also posting this story about how technically Cass and Draco are related. Technically yes - but also in Pureblood society them being like second cousins doesn't mean much. First cousins get married all the time. To be honest, when I first made this idea and the character of Cass up in my mind yeeeaaaars ago before I even thought of actually writing it, I didn't really fully realise because while I've always loved HP, I didn't know a whole lot of the little specific details like the Black/Malfoy relations. By the time I got to actually writing this I couldn't bring myself to change my character either because she was so close to my heart.  
> I did my research tho y'all and as I said and is well known - it's super common in pureblood society.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all continue to enjoy this as much as you have been! Love you all who have been reviewing, it genuinely makes my day to hear what you have to say!

Harry didn't talk to me for the rest of the day, or the whole of the next day once I told him I had decided to go. I wasn't too worried; I knew he would get over it eventually. My dad was trying not to show it, but I could tell he wasn't exactly thrilled that I was going either. I was willingly walking into a world that he'd tried so hard to escape from his whole life.

Daphne had written to me earlier in the week once she'd found out Malfoy had invited me, telling me as soon I'd made up my mind to let her know so we could go together. Her family lived not far from Godric's Hollow so I had immediately owled her last night and received her reply this morning telling me her family would collect me at 6:55PM sharp and then I could Apparate with them. I was secretly glad I wouldn't have to show up alone, arriving with the Greengrass's wouldn't be as much of a stir as me arriving by myself.

I hadn't really been expecting to go to a ball over my break, so I had been a little stressed yesterday when I'd realised I had absolutely nothing to wear. Thankfully, Daphne also came to my rescue on that front - sending me one of her dresses along with her letter this morning after I practically begged her to. I'd had to do a few length adjusting charms but other than that the robes were perfect. They were a light pearl colour, embroidered along the top with a flowy ball gown bottom made of tulle. They were very Daphne but also suited me quite well, I was just grateful my friend had such an extensive collection. Deciding I didn't have time to do anything proper with my hair, I settled for leaving my natural waves out and cast a quick de-frizzing charm to make them look presentable at least. I gave myself one more quick glance in the mirror, before turning and heading out of the room and down the stairs. It would have to do.

"Good timing," my dad said with a smile when I came into the living room, "I'm pretty sure the Greengrass's just arrived outside."

"I told you Daphne was serious when she said 'sharp'," I responded, walking over and opening the front door just as Daphne herself reached it.

"I knew that one would look the best on you," she smiled as she took me in, her eyes sparking in approval.

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?" I responded, smiling at her gratefully.

"Yes, but you could stand to do it more," she smirked proudly, making me laugh.

Harry chose that moment to come down the stairs, his face twisting into a scowl when he saw the two of us in the doorway - stalking into the kitchen without a word.

"I see he's as cheery as usual," Daphne raised an eyebrow, watching him go.

I rolled my eyes, "He's not exactly thrilled with the fact that I'm going."

She scoffed, "Of course he isn't." She brightened up again, linking her arm with mine, "Oh well, you are coming - and I am definitely happy about it. Now I don't have to spend the entire evening with Gorgia and Pansy."

My eyes widened, I hadn't even thought about the fact those two would be in attendance - which in hindsight was incredibly stupid, why wouldn't they be?

Daphne must have seen my expression change because she frowned warningly at me, "You are still coming!"

I pouted, "Fine, but only because I already spent so much time getting ready!"

"Well, let's go then. It's always important to be on time," she grinned once more, starting to pull me out of the house.

"Bye Dad!" I called over my shoulder, and he appeared in the doorway - waving with an amused smile as Daphne dragged me down the path.

"Have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"So, you can pretty much do anything!" James called over his shoulder, laughing when my dad glared warningly at him.

I shook my head at them both, turning away once we reached the end of the path where Daphne's parents and her younger sister Astoria were waiting. I resisted the urge to glare at the younger Greengrass, she was only two years younger than us, but in her two years at Hogwarts had developed quite the reputation for being horrible. She was practically a mini Gorgia Avery in my opinion.

"Hello Cassandra," Anastasia Greengrass smiled at me, "It's lovely to see you again, dear."

I smiled back at her; I had always liked Daphne's family. For purebloods that tended to follow the ideals they weren't so bad, and had always been adamant on the fact they didn't support any kind of dark magic.

"Have you ever Apparated before?" Edward Greengrass asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, but only a couple of times."

"Wonderful, let's go then." I took a hold of Daphne, who linked her arm with her mother at the same time Astoria took their father's, and then a moment later we were gone.

If I hated Portkey's - it was nothing compared to how much I disliked Apparating. It felt like my whole body was being ripped apart and pulled back together again. My dad always told me it gets easier once you learn to do it yourself, but I wasn't sure I'd ever be a fan. The idea of being able to go wherever I wanted in seconds was definitely appealing though.

After a few nauseating moments, my feet landed back on the ground with a thud. I let out a shaky breath, before straightening up and exchanging a quick glance with Daphne - who looked much more used to Apparating than I was.

I sucked in a breath as I gazed up at the large manor in front of me. I'd always heard from my friends how big it was, but nothing any of them said did it justice. It loomed over us as we made our way towards the doors, Daphne's parents engaging in polite greetings as we did so. Thankfully, no one was giving me as much of a second glance - and I naively hoped that would continue all night.

Daphne linked her arm with mine as we walked into the large ballroom, my eyes boggling a little as I took in the immaculately decorated room. The dark wood floors were polished so well you could practically see your reflection in them, and the room was decorated immaculately - the detail making everything seem that much grander. I didn't even doubt that Mrs Malfoy had been the one to put it together, I couldn't imagine her ever trusting someone else to decorate her home. I hated to admit it, but Malfoy definitely had the right to brag about this place.

"I know," Daphne whispered, almost like she was reading my mind, "You should see it when they throw the Christmas Ball, almost as impressive as Hogwarts this year." I tried not to let myself wonder if I would ever see it.

We spotted Blaise and Madi as soon as we entered the main part of the room, they were standing at a table off to the side and seemed to be looking for us just as we were for them. Madi's eyes lit up when she spotted us, giving a small wave as we made a beeline for them.

"I can't believe you came," she said, hugging me once we reached them.

"I told you she would," Blaise looked less surprised, but equally as glad to see me - pressing a swift kiss to the top of my head in greeting when his girlfriend released me.

"I had nothing better to do," I shrugged, trying to act indifferent. Neither of them were fooled, both rolling their eyes before exchanging a knowing look that I chose to ignore.

"Please," Daphne smirked, swiftly taking two champagne glasses off a passing tray and handing me one, "We all know why you came."

I shot her a small glare, but she didn't seem phased - sipping from her glass and starting to survey the room.

"You don't know anything, Greengrass."

"You may not have told me anything," she glanced quickly at me again, "But I do have eyes, you know."

I couldn't help but blush as both Blaise and Madi snorted into their own champagne glasses, trying to contain their laughter when I turned my glare towards them. Traitors. I glanced back at Daphne subtly, was it really that obvious something was going on between me and Malfoy? Then again, Daphne had always been quite good at being able to tell when two people were involved with each other, she'd been the one to figure out Lillian was sneakily shagging Bletchley for months after the Yule Ball.

I took a big gulp from my glass but was careful not to have too much. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was end up drunk, I needed all my wits about me. I scanned the room, not paying much attention to what my friends started discussing. The room was full of basically every important Pureblood family in Britain, and I smirked when I made eye contact with Avery and Parkinson across the room - both of them looking equal parts shocked and furious to see me here.

"Don't you cause any scenes here," Daphne warned, following my gaze, "This is not a crowd you want to draw attention to yourself in."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't worry Daph, the last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself."

"Great," Blaise seemed a little disappointed, "So, we're in for a boring night then?"

"Oh, there's Graham," Daphne suddenly brightened - spotting her boyfriend across the room, "I should say hi to his mother, I'll be back later!" We all watched her go with amused smiles as she drifted elegantly through the crowd towards him.

"If anyone knows how to act in high society, it's Daphne Greengrass," I shook my head with a fond smile.

"If only some of her manners had rubbed off on you over the years," Blaise mused sarcastically, laughing when I punched his shoulder in response.

"How is it at home?" I turned to Madi, who's smile immediately dropped.

"Miserable. I still don't know exactly why Mother wanted me home, but I bet you anything it's because of this bloody ball. Every time they go to a social event without me I never hear the end of how 'embarrassed they were that they had to make up excuses for their own daughter's absence."

I looked at her sympathetically, placing a hand on her arm gently, "I'm sorry Mads, I wish there was something I could do."

She shrugged, "It's fine, it's not like I haven't dealt with it my whole life." Blaise and I exchanged a quick look, very used to her constantly brushing off the way her parents treated her.

"Sometimes I wonder if this would have been my life if my dad had never run away," I stated, the three of us looking around the room and falling silent. I spotted Narcissa Malfoy towards the front of the room, smiling politely and holding herself perfectly - I knew she had been a Black once, would I have turned out just like her? Arranged into a marriage and condemned to society life forever? If she had found friends who cared for her like my dad's had for him, could she have escaped like he had? My eyes flicked back to Blaise and Madi who had resumed conversation, and only hoped I could do for them what James and Remus had done for my dad. Not even just for them, for all my friends - I knew they were all better than what they had been made to be.

"You need another drink," Madi pulled me out of my thoughts, replacing my empty glass, "You're thinking way too hard right now."

"I'm taking it easy tonight," I replied, accepting the drink but making no move to have any of it.

"Can't trust yourself around Malfoy?" Blaise smirked, before groaning when I hit him again - but much harder this time.

"Where is he anyway?" Madi asked, ignoring our antics, "I thought he would have accosted Cass by now."

"Probably off dancing with all the other girls who are obsessed with him, like he always does at these things," Blaise shrugged, leaning his elbow on the table and scanning the room lazily.

I hated that I frowned as soon as I heard Blaise say it, silently scolding myself for almost feeling jealous. There was absolutely no way that I cared if he spent the whole night dancing with his fan club.

Madi was smiling at me knowingly, and I shot her a small glare in return.

"Oh wait - there he is," Blaise nodded his head across the room, and we followed his gaze to see Malfoy emerge and be pulled into conversation with his mother - before turning and looking right at us. He said something to his mother in reply quickly, and then headed straight for us. I had a feeling whatever Narcissa had said to her son had been about me, because she was watching him go with a small frown on her face, before her gaze moved over to me. My eyes widened, and I turned away quickly.

"I knew you'd come," Malfoy smirked at me once he reached us, and I rolled my eyes a little.

"Apparently everyone did." He was still looking at me, and I tried not to blush as I watched him take in my appearance.

"Where have you been then?" Blaise questioned, it seemed he bored easily at these kinds of things - looking around the room like he was waiting for something exciting to happen. I didn't blame him, if I had to come to these things all the time I'd probably be over it by now too.

"Hiding," Malfoy responded, finally tearing his gaze away from me to smirk at Blaise, "My mother keeps trying to force me to dance with her hand selected high society darlings like usual."

Blaise snorted, "Please, like you don't absolutely love it." I tried not to let that traitorous jealousy seep through me again.

"I guess none of them are interesting enough for me tonight," his eyes moved back to me briefly, and I blinked in shock.

Madi saw it as well - a sly grin crossing her face, and I glared back at her, silently warning her with my eyes not to do whatever she was about to do, but she only grinned more and grabbed Blaise's arm, "You know what, we should all go dance! Come on Blaise!"

"Wait-" Blaise looked like he wanted to protest, frowning as he looked between me and Malfoy - eventually giving in and letting Madi drag him over to the dancefloor, giving Malfoy a look I couldn't quite read as he went.

"She's not very good at being subtle, is she?" Malfoy was staring after them with an amused look on his face, only looking more so when he realised I was still glaring at my best friend's retreating form.

"Her grandmother raised her way that way," I responded, avoiding his gaze and taking another sip from my drink, "Apparently she says subtlety is for cowards. You should always be upfront about what you want, or you'll never get anywhere."

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that right?" I made a small noise of protest as he grabbed my rapidly emptying drink from my hand and deposited it along with his on the table, before turning to me with a smug smirk. "In that case, let's dance."

My eyes widened a little, but against my better judgement I took the hand he was offering and followed him onto the dancefloor anyway. It would just be rude to come and not even dance, that was what you were supposed to do at these things. Besides, friends could dance. At least that was what I was trying to tell my increasingly racing heart.

I tried not to focus on how easily we fell into rhythm with each other again, or that he was definitely holding me closer than he had the last two times I had ended up dancing with him. If I looked back on the first time we had danced together in December, I never would have thought that we would be here now. That I would willingly come to something he had invited me to and was actually enjoying dancing with him.

"You're doing it again," he said drily, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Doing what?" I frowned up at him.

"Thinking too much," he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe I have a lot to think about," I shot back, avoiding his gaze and glancing around the room instead. I noted with a smirk that Gorgia was glaring absolute daggers at us, but she wasn't the only one who was watching us. It seemed the two of us dancing together was drawing a lot more attention than I'd thought, and I suddenly became aware of many sets of eyes following us around the dancefloor.

"Ignore it, they're all just too bored with their own dull lives so feel the need to make something out of ours," Malfoy pulled my attention back to him, and I scowled. How had he known what I was thinking again?

"I hate when you do that."

He smirked, "I told you I know you, Black."

I didn't respond, and we fell silent for a moment again. As we spun around, I spotted Blaise and Madi over his shoulder - Blaise was watching us, raising an eyebrow at me in question when we made eye contact, like he was making sure I was okay. I gave him a brief nod, and he still looked unsure but turned back to dancing with his girlfriend anyway.

"So, what did Weasley have to say about you coming here then?"

I flinched a little at the question, "He doesn't know yet."

Malfoy smirked way too much for my liking, "Interesting."

"Get that look off your face," I warned, glaring at him slightly. "I'd just rather tell him in person when I get back after break."

"Just out of curiosity," he continued, remaining unaffected by my glare, "What exactly are you going to tell him?"

"The truth," I snapped back.

I let out a small gasp as he suddenly pulled me in even closer, "And what is the truth?" he murmured in my ear, sending a small shiver running down my spine.

He pulled back again, looking pleased when he saw me staring back at him with wide eyes. I was sure he could probably hear how hard my heart was beating.

"I like your hair out," he murmured, pushing a stray piece back behind my ear. I was almost lost for words at this point. Sure, he had been giving me wayward flirty comments for the last couple of weeks, but it had never been like this.

"Was that an actual compliment?" I managed to get out finally, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't let it go to your head," he responded, his grey eyes glinting.

"You can't do things like this," I whispered, and he rolled his eyes a little.

"You came here for a reason Black, whether you want to admit it or not. You wouldn't have come unless you wanted something like this to happen, either to prove to yourself you don't feel whatever it is you're feeling or that you do."

I sucked in a breath, how was it he managed to put it into words before I'd even really figured it out?

"So, which is it?" he continued, his eyes a little colder again now when I made no move to respond.

"I don't know," I finally said quietly, "I'm confused."

He scoffed quietly, "At least that's honest."

"Please, you are just as guarded as me," I snapped back, my eyes narrowing.

"What do you expect?" he shot back, his eyes flashing slightly, "Why would I be upfront with you when you're too scared to ever admit anything?"

I snorted, "And this is exactly why, I told you I don't trust you it's going to take time."

We were talking much louder than we had been before, and I was growing aware of even more people paying attention to us now. It seemed like Malfoy noticed as well, because he gazed around the room in irritation before grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me off the dancefloor.

"What are you doing?" I hissed as he led us out of the ballroom into a small courtyard outside.

"Don't really feel like airing our disagreements in front of the whole Pureblood society," he drawled, standing away from me and crossing his arms. "I do have a reputation to think of you know."

This was exactly why he frustrated me so much, one second I felt like I could actually enjoy being in his presence and then the next I wanted to rip his head off. It was infuriating.

"Well now everyone is just going to think you've dragged me off to snog me," I snapped in annoyance, crossing my arms over my chest as well - knowing exactly what two teenagers rushing off somewhere like that would look like.

He immediately stepped closer to me again, and I leaned back instinctively, "What would you do if I did?" he asked quietly.

"You can't," I breathed out, my heart starting to race once more at our sudden close contact. "I'm not a slag, and I won't let you make me one."

He sighed, his eyes flicking briefly from my eyes down to my lips. For a terrifying moment I thought he was going to kiss me anyway - but then he took a small step back.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I had been holding, and he studied me with a small smirk.

"Does Weasley make you feel like that?"

"Malfoy." I warned quietly.

"Admit it," he argued back, obviously not in the mood to back down tonight. This was the most open the two of us had been with each other this whole bloody year, and I don't think he wanted to risk me never being like this again, "You fancy me Black, I know you do."

"Fine!" I finally cried, "Maybe I do, I don't know! But it wouldn't matter anyway. I care about Fred; it doesn't change anything!"

He scoffed, but still looked slightly smug that I had finally just admitted there could be something between us. "You know you don't feel like you're supposed to about him."

"Stop telling me what I feel," I hissed back, "I do."

"So, you love him?"

" _Yes_."

"Are you in love with him?"

I hesitated.

He smirked, eyes flashing in victory, "I knew it."

"It doesn't matter," I said hoarsely, "I'm not just going to break up with him for something that I don't even know I want yet." His smirk faltered, and we stared at each other silently for a moment - neither of us knowing what else to say.

I finally let out a sigh, feeling suddenly exhausted and turned to head back inside. I just wanted to go home.

"I'm not going to wait around forever," he said coldly just as I opened the door.

I turned to glance at him over my shoulder, "I never asked you to."

* * *

I was thankful it had been late enough the night before when I came in that everyone was asleep, and I made sure not to wake Harry as I got into bed. I was awake for hours - replaying the conversations I'd had with Malfoy over in my head.

I hated to admit it, but he was right. I had always known deep down I didn't care for Fred as much as he cared for me. I loved him, but not the way I was supposed to, not the way he deserved. I couldn't say that I never would, but one thing I knew was that it wasn't fair to keep being with him when I had all these confusing feelings for Malfoy as well. Because even though I had been trying to fight it all year - I did. And I had to be fair to everyone and try and figure it out.

I thought once I had admitted everything to myself I would feel better, but my mind was racing more than ever. Did I actually have feelings for Draco Malfoy? Of all the things to happen to me in my life, this was something that I would have never expected. Where did that leave me now?

"You look like shit," I started slightly when I heard Harry's voice from above me, turning my head to see him staring at the roof and looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks," I muttered, "Didn't get much sleep."

"Had too much fun at your ball?" he responded bitterly, scowling at his ceiling.

"You were right, I never should have gone," I sighed.

He immediately sat up, looking down at me with concern in his eyes, "What happened? Did Malfoy do something to you?"

I shook my head, putting my hands over my eyes, "No, I just didn't have a good time. I really don't want to talk about it, okay?"

He was silent for a minute, and I could feel him staring at me even though I couldn't see him.

"I don't want to say I told you so…"

I scoffed, moving my hands away and turning to look at him, "But you will anyway."

He shrugged, a slight smile on his face.

"It's okay Harry, I understand why you were mad," I relented, sitting up and offering him a smile back.

"I just want to look out for you," he said, "I know they're your friends, but I don't trust all of them."

"I know," I said quietly, picking at a thread on the blanket still covering me. If this was how he had reacted to all this, how would he ever react if I told him I thought I fancied Malfoy?

He hesitated, looking at me carefully, "Are you sure you don't want to talk about whatever's made you so upset?"

I nodded, not meeting his eyes, "I'm sure."

"Well, I'm always here if you change your mind," he smiled, and I returned it - glad at least Harry and I could go back to normal.

The last few days of break went fast - both Harry and I were scrambling to finish all of our homework while spending as much time with our dads as we could. As the days dwindled down I could tell Harry was getting nervous about returning to school, the Third Task was growing closer and he still didn't even know what it was yet.

He wasn't the only one, the knowledge that I was going to break up with Fred when we got back was weighing heavily on me. I had always said that I never wanted to hurt him, but I knew at this point staying with him would only hurt him more - and he didn't deserve that.

Harry and I stayed mostly silent on the train ride back, he still had homework to finish and I was too deep in thought to pursue any kind of conversation. I let out a small sigh as I gazed out the window, watching the mountains and rivers zoom by. It was times like this I really missed my mother, I wanted nothing more than to have her tell me what I should do and that everything would be okay. I still had no idea if what had happened in the Black Lake was real, but it was something and sometimes I needed something to hold onto. My hand drifted up to my chest to rest on my necklace, her words coming back to me. _Follow your heart. Trust your instincts._

I changed into my robes just before the train started pulling into Hogsmeade station, and as I started to pull my hair into a braid out of habit I paused. I stared at my reflection for a moment, and then let it go - leaving my hair flowing over my shoulders.

Harry and I met up with a few of the other Gryffindors on our way out of the carriages, we were in the middle of hearing how Seamus had managed to explode his mother's famous berry pie on Easter Sunday when we entered the entrance hall and I spotted Malfoy talking with Theodore. Our eyes met, and for the first time he looked unsure of how to react to seeing me.

"I'm going to say hi to Theodore," I said to Harry, and he followed my gaze - scowling when he realised Malfoy was there too, but nodded anyway and said he'd find me later before continuing towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Welcome back," Theo said as I approached, Malfoy still watching me indifferently as I came to a stop in front of the two of them.

"Did you have a nice break?" I asked Theodore, who smirked.

"Quietest Easter I've had in years, funnily enough."

I laughed, whacking his arm lightly at the insinuation. My eyes moved over to Malfoy again, who was still ignoring my presence. Theodore must have sensed something too, because he gave me a knowing look before saying something about finding Pansy and walking off.

"So, are you just planning on ignoring me now?" I raised an eyebrow at the blonde, who was watching Theodore go with a scowl.

He turned to face me, still not giving much away as he looked back at me for a moment. "Your hair's down," he finally said.

I couldn't help the small smile on my face, "I decided maybe I like it this way."

He raised an eyebrow, the ghost of a smirk appearing on his lips, "You did, did you?"

"Yeah," I said quietly, holding his gaze, "Or that maybe I should at least give it a chance, see if I could like it more than leaving it up."

He nodded slowly in understanding, his eyes glinting the way I'd started to notice they did whenever he was starting to let his guard down, "Well, it's like I said. I like it."

I broke his gaze, knowing if I held it any longer I would definitely start blushing like an idiot. God I hated him.

"Are you coming to the Common Room?" he asked, tilting his head in the direction of the dungeons.

I shook my head, "No, not yet." I responded, letting out a deep sigh, "I'll be down later."

He looked far too happy, seemingly knowing what I was planning on doing before I returned - but thankfully he didn't say anything further, giving me one last smirk before he headed off down to the dungeons.

I watched him go for a moment, still trying to wrap my head around what the hell I was even doing. I let out another sigh, staring down the corridor with no real idea of where I was headed. I just needed to walk and think. I would be lying to myself if Malfoy didn't have something to do with needing to break up with Fred - but it wasn't even just my confusing feelings for him that had made me decide, it was mostly the fact I knew I didn't love him like I was supposed to. And it was going to kill me to have to hurt him, but I knew in the long run it would be for the best. I only hoped one day he could forgive me, and we could try and be friends again. Because a life without Fred Weasley was a life I didn't want to live.

Without even thinking about it I realised I'd made my way up to the Astronomy Tower. This had always been my safe space to think, but since last September when Fred had kissed me here for the first time I'd barely been up here unless I was with him. Now whenever I was up here he was all I could think about. I was up there for a long time - only pulled out of my thoughts when I heard footsteps, and I knew it would be him before his red hair even appeared at the top of the stairs.

"You missed dinner," he said quietly, hesitating.

"I didn't realise what time it was," I replied, gazing out over the Forbidden Forest.

He finally moved over to me, leaning on the railing next to me. I sucked in a quiet breath, turning to look at him and willing myself not to cry.

"I think we need to talk."

"Let me first," he said quickly, cutting me off before I could continue and taking my hands in his.

"Fred-"

"No, Cass please just listen," he begged, "I know you went to the ball at Malfoy's."

My eyes widened but he shook his head before I could even get a word out, "I'm not mad - I understand why you didn't tell me."

"No," I finally interjected, shaking my head, "I just felt like it was more of a face to face conversation...how did you find out?"

He frowned, "Everyone knows, someone must have started a rumour and it just spread."

I immediately scowled, one guess who started the rumour. Gorgia Avery just doesn't know when to quit.

"People are saying you danced with him again," Fred continued quietly, and I brushed off any more thoughts of how I would make Avery pay for this and re-focused, "And then the two of you disappeared off somewhere?"

"Nothing happened!" I exclaimed automatically, but he cut me off again.

"No, listen..." he pulled me in a little closer and tucked a bit of hair behind my ear. My tears were so close to spilling over now, the more he kept talking the harder this whole thing was becoming.

"Even if something did I don't care," my eyes widened, and I tried to open my mouth and stop him but he didn't let me again - looking desperate, "I don't want to lose you Cass, I can't...I love you, okay?"

No. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath, shaking my head trying to stop this from happening, "Fred…"

"You don't have to say it," he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine and brushing a tear that had finally fallen off my cheek, "But please, just don't give up on us yet...please."

My brain was screaming at me. I had to break up with him, it wasn't fair at all that he was telling me this and I felt as confused as I did. I had to be strong, I had to stick with what I said I was going to do. I had to let him go.

I let out one more shaky breath, before opening my eyes and bringing my gaze up to meet his. My heart was aching as I looked up at him, he was looking at me so desperately. Fred - who had always been there for me, never done anything to hurt me, forgave me time and time again when I didn't deserve it. How could I hurt him when all he had ever done was make me feel safe? When all he'd ever done was love me.

"Okay," I breathed before I could stop myself - and my heart clenched when his eyes immediately lit up and he pressed a quick kiss to my lips, before pulling me in tight and resting his head on mine.

_What the hell had I just done?_

* * *

I walked back to the Common Room almost in a trance. I felt numb, like whoever had just been up on the Astronomy Tower was a whole different person. I had been so sure of my decision, and I knew it was the right one. But then I'd looked into his eyes...and selfishly, I couldn't let him go. He was like a safety net, and maybe I was too scared to find out what would happen if I cut it loose.

"There you are!" I jumped as Daphne's voice called out to me as soon as I stepped through the portrait, and I quickly blinked away the last of my tears as I saw her racing towards me - the rest of the girls on her heels.

"We've been looking everywhere for you; Avery has been spreading shit about you all night." Tracey explained, not looking too pleased with this particular information.

"I know," I managed to get out, forcing a smile as reassuring as I could muster onto my face, "I was just with Fred."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Lillian let out a sigh of relief, "We were worried he might have dumped you."

"Nice, Moon." Maid muttered with an eye roll, but Lillian merely shrugged. She never had been one for tact.

It was then I noticed Malfoy was sitting on the couches behind us with Blaise and Theodore, and while they seemed to be engaged in a fairly heated round of Wizard Snap - his gaze was completely focused on me. I closed my eyes for a moment, willing myself to be strong and forced another smile to the girls who were still waiting for me to answer.

"No, we're fine. Still together."

It was instant. I risked moving my eyes back over to the blonde still watching me on the couch, but the moment my eyes met his I knew he'd heard me. That sparkling silver I'd become so used to in such a short time returned to its usual steely grey, and I knew anything that had been between us was over. Even before, he had never looked at me as cold as he was now. Without a word he stood and stormed back to the dorms, the two boys he'd been playing with looking after him in confusion. Blaise's eyes drifted over to me, and as soon as he saw the look on my face his expression flickered into concern. I shook my head slightly at him, not wanting to alert anyone else to what had happened - and he nodded slowly in understanding, knowing it would have to wait til later.

"What's up with him?" Daphne was frowning, looking after Malfoy in confusion.

"Who knows?" Tracey scoffed with an eyeroll, before looking at me questioningly, "Are Avery's stupid rumours true though? Did you really sneak off with him?"

I forced my own eye roll, ignoring the ache in my chest that hadn't gone away since I'd been on the Astronomy Tower, "It wasn't as scandalous as it sounds, we both just happened to go out for air at the same time. Avery is just a jealous cow; she's probably trying to get back at me for the pus incident."

The girls all seemed appeased, talk immediately shifting to what we'd missed over Easter break as we all settled on a group of armchairs near the fire. I was barely paying attention, staring into the flames and wondering exactly when everything had gone so wrong in my life. After a while I felt someone kick my foot lightly, and I looked up to see Blaise in front of me - standing up when he tipped his head in the direction of the door and following him out of the Common Room. I saw him and Madi make eye contact as we went, Blaise shaking his head a little at her as if to say he had this one.

I barely made it out of the door before the tears finally burst out of me, and he didn't hesitate to pull me into his chest as I cried. He just let me cry for a while, never once loosening his grip on me. Finally, I pulled back - wiping the last of my tears from my now puffy eyes and looking at him apologetically.

"What happened?" he asked me gently, "You looked like someone had died when you first walked in earlier, I thought Davis was right and Weasley had broken up with you."

I shook my head, the shame overtaking me once more, "No, I was going to break up with him..."

"Because of Malfoy?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe partly? Mostly because I was so confused and it wasn't fair on him," I replied, "And because I know I don't feel the same way about him as he does me."

"But you didn't do it?" Blaise looked confused.

Another sob escaped me, and he immediately placed a comforting hand on my arm - waiting patiently for me to continue.

"I couldn't," I whispered, "I swear I was going to do it, and then he was just looking at me so desperately and begging me not to give up on him..." I let out a shaky breath, "And then he told me he loved me."

Blaise's eyes widened, "Shit."

"I'm a terrible person," I sobbed, burying my head in my best friend's chest once more when the tears came back full force.

"No, you're not," Blaise said quietly, his chin resting on my head. "You're a fucking human being, Cass. I don't blame you, letting someone go isn't as easy as you think it's going to be."

"What am I going to do?" I whispered, pulling back again.

"I think that's something you're gonna have to figure out yourself," he sighed, "No matter how hard it might be."

I nodded; I knew he was right.

"So…" Blaise looked like he wasn't sure if he should ask, but he did anyway, "Do you fancy Malfoy?"

I sighed, "I don't know really, I think I do at least a little - but I'm still so confused about it all. I mean we've barely even gotten along until this year, it's all just so new."

"And you just figured it might be easier to figure it out without having a boyfriend," Blaise nodded in understanding, and I gave him a grim smile in return.

"Oh CB," he sighed dramatically, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we turned back towards the portrait, "What the hell am I going to do with you?"

I laughed despite still feeling like absolute shit, smiling gratefully up at my best friend and counting my lucky stars he was in my life.

Just as we reached the portrait, it swung open and Madi rushed out - looking completely frazzled, her eyes widening when she spotted us.

"Oh! Good, there you two are," she seemed nervous, glancing over her shoulder at the still open entrance to the Common Room. "Did you want to go for a walk or something? I really want to hear what happened with Fred, Cass."

"Why are you acting so suspicious?" Blaise frowned, echoing my thoughts exactly - we both knew Madi well enough to know she was trying to hide something.

"I'm not," she responded quickly, not sounding any less suspicious. Blaise and I exchanged a look, before moving past her and stepping back into the Common Room.

"No! Cassie wait-"

It was too late. I felt frozen on the spot, my mouth falling open slightly in shock and my heart aching the most it had this whole awful night when I realised exactly what Madi hadn't wanted me to see.

The room had mostly emptied out since Blaise and I left, but there on the couch I'd watched him storm away from earlier was Draco Malfoy. Snogging Gorgia Avery.

I heard Blaise suck in a slightly angry breath from next to me, and Madi put a hand on my arm as if trying to comfort me - but I barely paid any attention to either of them. I rushed through the Common Room without another word, heading straight for the dorms and throwing myself into my bed and wordlessly magicking the curtains closed around me.

I heard the other girls calling out to me in question, directing their confusion at Madi when she must have arrived after following me. Madi brushed them off by saying it was just about Fred before she cautiously tried to open one of the curtains a peek - climbing in when she realised I hadn't spelled them to keep her out.

"Cass…" she breathed, scanning my face.

"Don't." I mumbled, shaking my head and feeling that numb feeling creep back into my body.

"I'm so sorry."

"What for?" I continued bluntly, "He can snog whoever he likes."

"I know," she continued, sounding cautious, "But we both know there was something more going on here."

"Not anymore," I shook my head, staring at the green fabric above my head, "And that's no one's fault but mine."

Madi didn't say anything else, just moved to lay down next to me and wrapped her arms around me - holding me tight.

"You know what the worst part is?" I said quietly after a while, swallowing the tears down.

"What?"

"Now I know for sure," the first tear trickled down my cheek, "I really did have feelings for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry...please don't hate me. In exciting but sad news - there are only 3 chapters of GoF left! And still a lot to happen before the year is out.


	14. Aches and Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Back again with another update! I was going to apologise again for what I did to you all with that last chapter - but it seems like most of you loved the pain so I won't aha!
> 
> Also I know I said at the end of the last one only three more to go - but I decided to split the last chapter in two, so now it's actually four! YAY!

The next few weeks I still felt as if I was walking around in a trance. Malfoy and I went back to ignoring each other's presence as much as possible, which I was more than happy with after what had happened. I shouldn't have even been surprised that he had reacted the way he had, it was exactly the kind of petty and arrogant thing he would do. The worst part was that even if I had been confused before, the feeling I got when I saw him back with Avery...it had all but proven that I had much deeper feelings for him than I'd realised.

I knew I only had myself to blame, what I had expected him to do? He had warned me he wouldn't wait forever, and then I'd all but promised him I was going to break up with Fred before completely backing out. But he had shown me he was exactly who I thought he was by what he had done, and it made me glad that I had decided to stay with Fred after all. I knew he would never do something so cruel to me, and I needed to be better for him. He deserved for me to give us another chance, even if I knew I didn't entirely deserve for him to be giving me one.

"I can't believe Theodore still hasn't dumped Parkinson," Lillian said, readjusting her books as she, Madi and myself walked out of Charms and headed to dinner.

"Especially considering Montague dumped Daphne weeks ago," Madi agreed, shaking her head in slight disbelief. It was true, a week after Easter break had ended we had discovered a teary Daphne in the dorm room - Montague finally deciding he'd had enough of her. It was now the end of May, and Theodore had still made no move to end things with Parkinson - something which was baffling all of us.

"I'm finding it hard to pretend like I can still stomach them at this point," Lillian complained.

"Yes Moon," I rolled my eyes with a smile, "We all know how much you loathe having to tolerate things you hate."

"Well, I do," she shrugged in response, Madi and I exchanging an amused look as we made it to the Great Hall.

"Oh no," Lillian protested when she saw me immediately turn to head over to the Gryffindor table, "You barely sit with us anymore!"

I shifted a little, ignoring Madi's knowing eyes as I responded with a shrug to Lillian, "I'm just trying to spend more time with Fred."

"I thought you said you guys got through your little rough patch?" she narrowed her eyes, still looking unimpressed.

"Well I don't really fancy getting into another one," I snapped, "I'll see you back in the dorms."

I headed towards the table without another word, vaguely hearing Lillian start to quiz Madi on the 'bratty mood swings' that I'd been having lately. She wasn't wrong about any of it, I had been spending a lot more time with the Gryffindor's lately - not just at dinner either, I tended to be in Gryffindor tower more than I was in the dungeons. Partly because I really was trying to make more of an effort with Fred, and partly because Malfoy and Avery had never exactly been a subtle couple to be around.

"Hey," Harry said as I sat down, not paying much mind to me joining them - like I said, it had become a common occurrence.

"You okay?" Fred asked, kissing the side of my head gently.

I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile and focusing my attention on filling my plate with food.

"Did you finish that essay Snape assigned?" Ron asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, and no you can't use it to cheat off of."

Ron immediately slumped, ignoring the harsh glare Hermione was now giving him and glumly continuing to eat his dinner.

"I'm finding out tonight," Harry said, drawing my attention.

"What the task is?"

He nodded, "Yeah, McGonagall told me to go to the Quidditch Pitch at 9 o'clock."

From a little down the table, Oliver Wood instantly perked up and looked over at Harry with horrified eyes, "What have they done to the Quidditch Pitch?!"

The twins and I both covered our mouths to try and stifle our laughter as Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and assured Wood that the Quidditch Pitch would be fine.

"Tell me as soon as you know, yeah?" I said to Harry after Wood finally seemed appeased, and he nodded.

"Are you nervous?" Ron asked.

"I think I'll feel better once I know what it is," Harry replied with a frown, "At least try and prepare myself."

"You'll be prepared," Hermione said instantly.

"Yeah," Fred grinned, "Just like he has been every other time, right?"

George, Ron and I all laughed - and even Harry cracked a smile, but Hermione did not look amused.

"I'll make sure of it this time," Hermione looked scarily determined, and I exchanged a small eye roll with Harry.

"Are you as determined to help Krum as you are Harry then, Hermione?" I asked, smirking slightly. Hermione blushed, and Ron was suddenly glaring down at his plate like he had decided he hated food.

"You're terrible," Fred said to me quietly, shaking his head with a small smile - and I simply shrugged innocently in response.

I had promised Blaise I would work on our Defence essay together, so after dinner I reluctantly headed down to the dungeons - telling Harry I would meet him after he came back from the pitch so he could tell me about the next task.

"It's a bloody miracle," Tracey exclaimed from where she, Lillian and Daphne were sitting by the fire as I entered the Common Room. I rolled my eyes, ignoring them and making my way to where Blaise and Theodore were sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room.

"I'm surprised you remembered how to get in here," Theodore smirked as I sat down.

"Funny," I responded drily, pulling out my notes from Defence earlier today and pushing them towards Blaise, "Let's get this done then, I have to meet Harry later."

Blaise rolled his eyes but nodded - the three of us falling into a comfortable silence as we worked. Theodore left after about an hour, when Parkinson entered the Common Room at the same time as the two people I had really hoped wouldn't be hanging around tonight. I could feel Malfoy's eyes on me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence and pointedly kept my head down. Madi appeared from the direction of the dorms not long after they arrived, hair still wet from her shower, and headed for me and Blaise once she spotted us - giving Malfoy and Avery a dirty side-long look as she walked past them.

"Are you okay?" she asked me as she sat next to her boyfriend.

That was a common question from her lately, I knew she could tell how much I was hurting but she didn't understand that I just wanted to move on from it all - which meant her asking me about it all the time just irritated me more than anything.

"Fine."

"You can't just keep saying you're fine all the time," she was obviously getting just as irritated with me as I was with her, the annoyance clear in her tone, "It's okay to be hurt, you know?"

"I told you already," I said shortly, not even looking up from the parchment, "The whole thing was a stupid lapse of judgement on my part, and I just want to move on from it."

"You told me you had feelings for him," Madi snapped, "That doesn't just go away!"

I slammed my quill down and looked up at her with a glare, "It doesn't matter what I said, he showed me exactly why that would have been a terrible idea - proving that all my doubts about him were right and I never should have bothered in the first place. I'm just lucky I didn't end up doing something dumb like actually break up with Fred."

"But you aren't in love with him!" she hissed; hazel eyes fiery.

"I am not talking about this here," I said lowly.

"You don't want to talk about it at all," Madi muttered under her breath.

Blaise had obviously had enough, because he finally looked up and glared at both of us, "I am not hearing this argument again - both of you just grow up."

Madi was not pleased by that, "I'm not the one who needs to grow up," she seethed.

"Whatever," I said, standing up abruptly, "I'll just go be a child somewhere else."

"You know, we're all getting really sick of your constant mood swings," she snapped back, crossing her arms and remaining cold towards me.

I tried not to show how much her comment stung, "Well, lucky for all of you I've been spending so much time with the Gryffindors then." I turned and headed for the door without another word, ignoring Blaise calling after me.

I decided to head to the owlery, I hadn't written home since we'd come back from Easter break. As I made my way up the stairs, I wondered what time it was and if Harry was down at the pitch yet. Deciding I would head down after I wrote my letter I quickly settled down near the window - Smudge immediately appearing at my side and cooing happily when I gave her a scratch under the chin.

_Dad,_

_Sorry I haven't written since we've been back - it's been a crazy month._

_Not much to report, classes are busy again because the next task is so close. Harry is finding out what he has to do tonight, so I'm sure he'll send a letter to James tomorrow about it. I don't even know what it is yet and I'm already worried for him, I'm so ready for this whole year to be over._

_It was Madi's birthday a couple of weeks back and celebrating made me realise the absolutely awful timing of my birthday this year, only 3 days before the next task! Typical of Harry, right? Can't even let me have my own birthday this year. Not that I feel much like celebrating these days anyway._

_I miss you loads like always - can't wait to see you soon._

_Lots of love,_

_Cassie_

I sighed, attaching my letter to Smudge and giving her one last little pat before I watched her fly out over the grounds - her black feathers shining in the moonlight. I hadn't even thought about my birthday until we'd had a party for Madi the other week, which was when I'd figured out exactly how close it was to the Third Task. I headed back out of the owlery, my bad mood returning when thinking about Madi reminded me of the argument we'd just had. Thinking about birthdays also just made me think about Malfoy, his birthday was next, and he was already planning a massive party in the Common Room.

By the time I made it to the Entrance Hall, I was even more irritated than I'd been before I'd stormed out of the Common Room earlier. I frowned as I heard angry voices carrying up towards me from the grounds, that sounded exactly like…

"Harry?" I frowned in confusion as he and Hagrid appeared in the hall, both looking agitated.

"Oh, hey," they both stopped, Harry looking a little surprised to see me. Had he forgotten I'd said I would meet him after he found out about the task?

"What's going on?" I looked between him and Hagrid in confusion, feeling a bit wary of Hagrid - I'd never seen him look this mad before.

The two of them exchanged a look - before Harry turned back to me looking grim.

"I think Mr Crouch just attacked Krum in the forest."

* * *

The news about the incident in the forest spread fast, over the next couple of days the whole school was speculating what had happened.

Harry had explained everything to me, Ron and Hermione on the night but we still had no idea what had really happened. The three Gryffindors had also filled me in on their visit to Moody, but he hadn't caught Crouch (even using my map). Apparently Moody had just warned Harry not to go wandering off like that again, which all three of us agreed with - probably the first time I had agreed with something our Defence professor had said all year.

We were just finishing up breakfast a couple of days after the incident when two owls dropped letters on Harry and I's plates at the same time, and we recognised our father's handwriting right away.

_Hey kid,_

_It's funny you bring up your birthday, I was going to write to you and ask what you wanted this year. No matter about the task being so close, you still deserve to celebrate - I think you could use a little time to unwind._

_Speaking of Harry - I assume you know he already wrote to James about what happened the other night. Let me make this clear, neither of you are to be wandering off like that after hours. There is someone dangerous at Hogwarts and you need to stay safe. Stay in your Common Room after hours, stick close to each other and help Harry prepare for the third task._

_The two of you need to stay out of this - keep your heads down and look after yourselves._

_I love you, stay safe._

_Dad_

"Did you get told off too?" Harry said, looking just as irritated as me.

"Yeah, thanks a lot. I wasn't even there and I still got in trouble!" I glared back at him.

"They're right," Hermione said indignantly, evidently having read Harry's letter over his shoulder. "You can't be sneaking off alone, there is someone here out to get you Harry!"

"If they were out to get me, why didn't they just attack me the other night?" Harry argued as we stood, making our way out of the Great Hall.

"I don't know," Hermione shook her head, "But there are a lot of really strange things going on this year, Harry - you know that. You need to focus on getting ready for this task and stop sneaking off in the middle of the night!"

Harry and I exchanged an eye roll but didn't argue with Hermione further.

As we came out of the hall, I spotted Fred and George just coming down from Gryffindor tower and told the others I would catch up. I'd barely seen the twins the last couple of days, and Harry had told me they'd caught them acting strangely in the owlery the other day. I'd assured him that it was probably just something to do with their joke products, but part of me was wondering why they would be acting so weird about it.

"Hey," Fred grinned when he reached me, George shooting me a wink before he continued into the Great Hall.

"Where have you been the last few days?" I frowned, "I feel like I haven't even seen you since everything happened with Harry."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "George and I have just been busy - had a few new brilliant ideas."

"Any of those to do with why you were apparently acting suspicious the other morning?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah," his smile turned grim, "Harry told you about that, then?"

"Anything I should be worried about?" I studied him, growing a little suspicious myself when he shifted on his feet.

"Nope, nothing. It's not a big thing," he gave my arm a gentle squeeze to reassure me, but I continued to frown.

"Is this about the whole joke shop thing? Does it have something to do with Bagman?"

He let out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder and his eyes flickering a little in irritation, "I told you not to worry about all that."

"I don't understand why you won't talk to me about it," I shook my head in disbelief.

"Because you won't get it!" he finally said, his frustration clear now.

"Then help me to!" I was a little stung, searching his face and trying to understand why he was so against me knowing any of this.

"So, you're allowed to have secrets, but I'm not?" he snapped, and I stepped back a little. He instantly looked regretful, obviously seeing how much his comment had hurt me.

"Fine," I said quietly, "Forget I said anything. I have to go to class."

"Cass," he tried to reach for my arm, but I stepped away.

"I'll just talk to you later."

He hesitated at first, but then nodded - giving me a small smile before we both turned and headed in opposite directions.

I couldn't really argue with him, he was right. I was the one always keeping secrets. Why should he have to tell me everything? I could already hear Madi's voice in my head telling me how bad of a relationship that was and scowled to myself. This was how our relationship had been ever since Easter when I'd almost broken up with him. It was like there was a disconnection between us - even though I was trying harder than I ever had before, we were more distanced from each other than ever.

"Trouble in paradise, Black?"

I let out a deep breath, turning with a scowl to see Malfoy leaning against one of the pillars, Avery hanging on his arm and flanked by Crabbe and Goyle as usual. I noticed with surprise Daphne was with them, and unsurprisingly she was the only one who seemed concerned about me.

"You really don't have anything better to do than lurk in corridors, do you?" I snapped back.

"Oh, I have much better things I could be doing," he smirked, his eyes flicking to Avery next to him to make sure I didn't miss the insinuation.

"That's your opinion, I guess." I shrugged, trying to brush it off as best I could. I knew he was trying to hurt me, and I would not give him the satisfaction.

Avery's eyes immediately flashed at my comment and she went to say something, but Malfoy cut her off by putting a hand on her arm.

"Don't bother, she's not worth it." He looked me right in the eye as he said it, and his smug smirk only grew when I flinched a little instinctively.

Avery shot me a triumphant smirk and wrapped herself around his arm as they stalked off, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering after them. My face dropped as soon as they turned away, and I cursed myself for letting him get to me. I knew what he'd meant.

"Cass."

I jumped, I hadn't even realised Daphne hadn't followed them until her soft voice pulled my attention away from their retreating forms, and I let out a shaky breath - swallowing down the tears.

She must have noticed, and her dark blue eyes shone with concern as she placed a gentle hand on my arm, "What's going on?"

It was like a floodgate in me burst open, and suddenly I was telling her everything. From how confused I'd been and adamant on denying my feelings for Malfoy, to finally admitting it only to chicken out when I knew I had to break up with Fred. How what he had done after really had hurt me, and only made me realise how much I had grown to feel for him - but how he had just proved exactly why I'd been so cautious in the first place.

"Wow," was all she said at first, we were sitting against the wall now - any ideas of going to class long forgotten.

"Yeah," I responded quietly, staring at the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. I felt so emotionally drained, the last few weeks - this whole year - finally catching up to me.

"And I thought my love life was complicated," Daphne finally said, I turned to look at her and as soon as our eyes met we both burst out laughing.

"Seriously though..." she continued as we died down, my head still resting on her shoulder. "Do you want to know what I think?"

I shrugged, "Enlighten me."

"Well, for one," she sat up, nudging me off her shoulder so she could look at me. "The reason you and Weasley are so distant and weird is because you didn't stay with him because you wanted to - it was because you're scared of hurting him and because you wanted to avoid your feelings for Draco. So, of course it's going to feel like that when your heart isn't really in it."

"Harsh, Daph." I said quietly, looking down at the ground - suddenly feeling a little ashamed.

"You know I'm right," she argued.

I sighed, "I know, but it doesn't mean I don't care about him at all. Besides, how do I know those feelings won't come over time anyway?"

"Don't you think you would know by now?" she continued, giving me a sympathetic look. "I understand staying with him because it's safe, and because these other feelings for Draco scare you. But I think the reason they scare you so much isn't just because of who he is, or who you are, but because you know they could be much deeper than anything you've felt for Weasley."

I let out a long, shaky breath – shaking my head with a small smile at her, "How do you manage to know my own feelings better than I do?"

She smiled sadly, looking down at the ground, "Because I am you, I understand."

I held her gaze as she looked back up, the sadness reflecting in her eyes. I knew she did – she had done exactly what she had just described with Theodore and Montague this year. I cursed myself for not going to Daphne about this earlier. Madi would always be my best friend, but she had always been a believer in acting on whatever she felt was right – which is why she was so frustrated with me for not doing the same. Daphne understood this more than Madi ever would.

"We're just a couple of right messes, huh?" I let out a sigh, and Daphne let out a laugh despite the situation – nodding in agreement.

"Sorry I made you skip Divination," I apologised, but she shrugged carelessly.

"That crazy witch probably didn't even notice, besides – I doubt we missed anything important."

"You're probably right," I snorted, the two of us laughing a little again as we finally stood up, brushing ourselves off.

As I was about to suggest that we forget about going to the rest of Divination and go back to the Common Room before Transfiguration, we heard footsteps coming quickly towards us and both turned to see a frazzled Harry – looking just as surprised to see us as we did him.

"Are you alright?" I frowned in concern, studying him closely. He didn't look it; he was red faced and out of breath – and it didn't seem like that was because of how fast he'd been walking down the corridor. Something was wrong.

Daphne must have sensed the same thing because she gave me one more smile before telling me she'd see me next period and leaving us be.

"What's happened?" I asked, moving a little closer to Harry.

"I just had another dream in Divination," he sighed, glancing around anxiously.

My heart immediately sank, and I looked at him with wide eyes, "The same as last time, or a different one?" Harry had been having one recurring dream all summer before The World Cup, something to do with Voldemort, Wormtail and another man he didn't know. He hadn't had it since we'd been at school, but James had told him if it happened again he needed to tell Dumbledore right away.

"The same one," he responded grimly, "I was going to see Dumbledore."

I nodded, "I'll come with you."

He shot me a grateful smile, and the two of us continued towards the Headmaster's office. We stayed silent, but I kept glancing at Harry out of the corner of my eye to make sure he really was okay. He looked so pale I was worried he might pass out any moment.

"Where were you anyway?" he asked as we reached the gargoyle, "Why'd you skip?"

"Don't worry about it," I replied with a shake of my head, "This is much more important."

I knew he would probably question me more later, but for now he seemed to let it go and faced the closed gargoyle with a frown.

"You have no idea what the password is, do you?" I asked drily, and he shrugged.

"Can't be too hard to guess right?"

I snorted, gesturing for him to go ahead. If I had the map we would already know the password, but it didn't feel productive to bring that particular fact up right now. Harry already looked distressed enough, no point making him feel worse.

"Sherbet lemon?" he tried first; an eyebrow raised tentatively – the gargoyle didn't budge.

"Uh…pear drop? Liquorice wand? Fizzing Whizzbee?"

"Salazar help us, we're going to die here."

He shot me a withering look before continuing determinedly, "Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans – oh no he hates those…"

"Oh, can't you just open!" he kicked it out of frustration, and I stifled a giggle when he hissed out in pain.

"Chocolate frog! Sugar quill! Cockroach cluster!"

We both blinked in shock as the gargoyle finally swung open, exchanging an amused grin before starting to climb up the winding staircase. As we reached the big wooden door at the top, we realised Dumbledore wasn't alone – hearing two recognisable voices through the wood.

"…there is no connection Dumbledore, I am telling you!" the voice of the Minister for Magic floated out to us, "Ludo says Bertha is completely capable of getting lost, there is no evidence of foul play – nor is there a link between her disappearance and Crouch's!"

"So, what do you think happened to Barty Crouch then, Minister?" Moody's gruff voice spoke up, and I scowled just from hearing it.

"I see two possibilities Alastor, either Crouch has finally cracked and wandered off – which I think you'll agree is more than likely."

I mouthed an 'I told you so' at Harry, who rolled his eyes and pressed a finger to his mouth to remind me to stay quiet.

"He wondered rather quickly then, Cornelius," Dumbledore said calmly.

"Or else – well…" Fudge sounded flustered, "You did say it was rather close to where that Beauxbatons carriage was, you know what that woman is, Dumbledore."

My blood immediately boiled, and I felt Harry tense up next to me as well at the Minister's insinuation. Hagrid was part giant.

"We have no legitimate reason to suspect Madame Maxime, unless of course we are to go off unfair prejudice of her kind," Dumbledore remained just as calm as before.

"Well…" the Minister sputtered.

"Shall we wrap up this discussion?" Moody butted in before the conversation could escalate any further.

"Yes, yes – let's go down to the grounds!" Fudge exclaimed impatiently.

"No, it's just that Potter and Black would like a word with you Headmaster, they're right outside the door."

The door of the office swung open as both Harry and I sprung back a little, Harry having the smarts to at least raise his hand like he'd been about to knock – but I doubt any of the adults were fooled.

"Ah, Harry, Cassandra – please come in," Dumbledore said kindly, beckoning us both in like nothing was wrong.

"Hello, you two," Fudge said joyfully – plastering a smile on his face, "Harry, how are you faring my boy?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but Harry only smiled politely in return, "Fine, thanks."

He turned to Dumbledore, "I just wanted to talk to you Professor, but we can come back later?"

Dumbledore waved a hand, "Not necessary, I just need to show the Minister something quickly – feel free to wait for me here."

We both nodded, watching as the three men headed out of the room in stony silence. I made sure to glare at Moody as he went – the ex-Auror holding my gaze, sparking a cold feeling in my chest. I shook it off as they left, starting to wander around the office curiously.

Fawkes the phoenix was perched in his usual spot behind Dumbledore's desk, and I smiled as Harry gave him a fond scratch under the chin. I continued to walk in circles around the office, examining some of the strange book titles the Headmaster had laying around.

"Hey Cass," Harry's voice pulled my attention, and I turned to see him standing in front of a stone basin – staring into it curiously, "Any idea what this is?"

I walked over to stand beside him, frowning down into the stone basin. It had strange carvings around the outside, nothing that I recognised – and there was some sort of silvery light coming from inside the basin. I couldn't make out what it was, one moment it looked like liquid and the next it could have been gas – it was like it had a life of its own.

"No idea," I responded to Harry, "We should probably leave it alone though."

"Yeah," Harry sounded like he'd only half-heard me, leaning in further to the basin like he was in a trance. I rolled my eyes a little in irritation, grabbing his arm to pull him away before he managed to hurt himself somehow. Instead, I found myself letting out a scream as we were suddenly pulled headfirst into the basin.

I braced myself for impact as we fell, already cursing Harry in my head for always putting me in these situations. If we weren't already falling to our deaths I was going to kill him. I let out a gasp as we both somehow landed on our asses – glancing around and realising we were sat in some kind of courtroom, with an ominous looking cage in the centre of the room. It was dimly lit, and I didn't recognise anyone around us – oddly, no one seemed to be paying any attention to the fact that two teenagers had just fallen into the room either.

"You idiot," I turned to Harry with a glare, who at least had the decency to look apologetic, before his eyes widened as he spotted someone on his other side.

"Professor! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just looking!"

I turned as well and saw the Headmaster was in fact sitting on Harry's other side, but he made no move to respond to Harry – like he hadn't even heard him.

The realisation dawned on me, no one in the room had so much as flinched when we had appeared. I had been somewhere like this before. In second year, when I had gone into Tom Riddle's diary – I had been in someone else's memory. Unable to do anything but observe.

"He can't hear you," I said quietly, "This is a memory, Harry. Dumbledore's memory."

A look of realisation came over his face too, and he gazed around the room with wide eyes, "A memory of what?"

"I don't know, but it feels like we're at some sort of trial?"

Before Harry could respond, my theory was all but confirmed as a figure started to emerge into the cage in the centre of the room – everyone's attention immediately drawn as a gavel sounded loudly. I glanced to our left and sucked in a breath when I saw a younger looking Barty Crouch was the one holding the gavel. And it was Igor Karkaroff in the cage.

"Igor Karkaroff," Crouch's voice silenced the room, "You have been brought from Azkaban at your own request to present evidence to this council. Should your testimony prove consequential, the council may be prepared to order your immediate release. Until such time you remain in the eyes of the Ministry, a convicted Death Eater. Do you accept these terms?"

Harry and I exchanged a wide-eyed look, and I subconsciously reached for his hand in comfort – he gave it a gentle squeeze in return as we turned back to the scene in front of us. Our dads had told us that Karkaroff had been a follower of You-Know-Who, but seeing it here for ourselves made it much more terrifying.

"I do, sir." Karkaroff stammered out, looking around the room nervously.

"And what do you wish to present?" Crouch continued.

"I-I have names, sir. There was a Rosier, Evan Rosier," the future Durmstrang Highmaster sounded desperate, and he watched as another man ruffled through some papers before handing one to Crouch, who scoffed.

"Rosier is dead."

"Yeah, he took a piece of me with him though." Harry and I both whirled around in shock as the gruff voice of our Defence professor spoke up from behind us and saw him leaning down to whisper in Dumbledore's ear. This Moody still looked as rough as the one we knew, but I let my gaze linger on him with a frown. There was something different about him. I shook it off, putting it down to less years as an Auror taking a toll on him and turned back to Karkaroff as he stammered helplessly – growing more desperate every second.

"N-no more than Rosier deserved!" I rolled my eyes, noticing Crouch looked just as unimpressed with Karkaroff's pathetic grovelling as I did.

"Any more?"

"Yes! Travers – he helped murder the McKinnons!"

I paled, my heart almost stopping for a moment. Harry gave my hand a particularly firm squeeze - and I shot him a smile as reassuring as I could in return.

"Mulciber, he specialised in the Imperius Curse! And-and Rookwood, he was a spy! He passed information to You-Know-Who from inside the Ministry itself!"

He'd struck gold, Crouch finally looking intrigued, "Augustus Rookwood? Of the Department of Mysteries?"

There was a murmur through the crowd, and I scowled as I saw Karkaroff's eyes light up. He had supported You-Know-Who and then as soon as things went wrong had turned and offered up names of other people just to save his own ass. He was a grovelling, pathetic mess and I had no better feelings for this version of him than I did for the one who had managed to go on to become a headmaster.

"Very well, the council will deliberate. In the meantime, you will return to your cell at Azkaban."

" _NO_!" Karkaroff was desperate now, clinging on the bars of the cage, "What of Ludo Bagman!?"

My mouth dropped open, exchanging another shocked look with Harry. Ludo Bagman had been a suspected follower of You-Know-Who?

"Bagman was cleared," Crouch responded, not looking like he agreed with what he was saying, "His involvement was deemed an accident after his…big Quidditch win."

"Accident my ass," Moody grumbled.

"What about Snape! Severus Snape!"

I dropped Harry's hand, my chest growing cold. He was wrong – it was a lie, there was no way.

Before anyone could say anything Dumbledore stood from next to us, "I have given evidence already on this matter."

I let out a breath, Dumbledore would tell them - he would tell them that was crazy and Karkaroff was wrong. Harry had put a hand on my arm, but I wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he re-joined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Karkaroff screamed, but I barely heard him. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears, taking a deep breath and shaking off Harry as he tried to reach for me as if to comfort me again.

"It's fine, you heard Dumbledore. He's not one."

"Cass…"

"He's not." I snapped, warning Harry with my eyes to drop it. I hated the pity that I saw in his eyes as he looked back at me. Snape had made a bad choice, but he had righted it – he had realised he was wrong and now he was on our side. I believed that.

Karkaroff's yell had prompted more outcries in the room, and Crouch had to bang his gavel again and call for silence before the room hushed once more.

"Unless there is any genuine name of consequence, this session is now concluded!" Crouch sounded like he'd had enough of Karkaroff's pathetic attempts.

Karkaroff let out a deep breath, shaking his head, "No…there is one more. The name…"

"Yes?"

"I know for a fact this person took part in the capture and torture by means of the Cruciatus curse – of Auror Frank Longbottom and his wife…"

Harry sucked in a breath next to me, and I spared a worried look in his direction. Neville's parents?

"The name!" Crouch yelled as voices started to rise once more around the room, "Give me the wretched name!"

"BARTY CROUCH!"

There was a loud gasp, and I noticed a man on the other side of the room who had stood as if to leave the room was now frozen on the spot.

"Junior." Karkaroff looked maniacal, he knew he had it now. Crouch's face had drained of all colour, and he turned almost in slow motion as the man I now assumed was his son tried to make a break for it – but Moody didn't let him, firing a stun before he'd even taken two steps.

We watched as a short scuffle took place, the cries and whispers in the room escalating as a wild looking man was pulled up from the ground and handcuffed – turning to look Crouch right in the eye.

"Hello father."

Crouch didn't respond for a moment, his eyes turning cold and his face devoid of all emotion. "You are no son of mine."

As Crouch's son was dragged from the room – suddenly I felt myself being pulled back out of the memory and Harry and I landed with a thud on the floor of Dumbledore's office, both breathing heavily and trying to process what we had just witnessed.

"Curiosity is not a sin," we jumped as Dumbledore's calm voice spoke, seeing him standing next to the basin, "But you should exercise caution."

"What is it?" Harry stammered out as we stood, looking apologetically at the headmaster.

"It's a Pensieve," he explained, "Very useful, if like me you find your mind a wee bit stretched. It allows me to see once more things I've already seen."

"It stores memories," I breathed, and the Headmaster nodded.

"At these times, I use the Pensieve to siphon and examine memories. It becomes much easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form. Something I might have overlooked, something that might explain why these terrible things have happened."

He leaned back over the basin, and as I glanced down into it I saw Snape's face swirling around and felt an immediate pang in my chest.

"So, he really was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said gently, turning to me with a soft smile, "But he is no longer loyal to any cause but ours, I assure you Miss Black. You can trust him, just as I do."

I nodded, not being able to find any words. Harry was gazing at me in concern, not looking as convinced after what he'd just witnessed.

"Did they really just let Karkaroff off after that?" he said, "Just because he gave up Crouch's son?"

"He was a coward," I snapped, "He acted out of fear, as soon as things went bad he did everything he could to save his own ass."

"Many of Voldemort's supporters acted out of fear," Dumbledore responded solemnly, "Fear can be a very powerful motivation."

Something else Karkaroff had said came back to me, and I swallowed before turning to the Headmaster again.

"What happened to Travers, Headmaster?"

"Cass…" Harry said quietly, but I shook my head. I needed to know.

Dumbledore looked at me for a moment, like he was debating whether he should answer. "He is imprisoned in Azkaban for his crimes," he answered carefully.

I let out a shaky breath, blinking away the few tears that had formed in the corners of my eyes.

"I would advise you not to look too far into the past, Miss Black." Dumbledore continued gently, his eyes kind.

I nodded, looking between him and Harry – who was looking back at me in concern. I found that I didn't want to be in this office anymore, the Pensieve looming ominously in the corner.

"I think I'll let you talk to the Headmaster, Harry," I said quietly, "I'll catch up with you later."

"Are you sure?" he questioned, eyes still shining in concern – and I nodded.

"Thank you, Miss Black." Dumbledore smiled, "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

I gave them one more shaky smile, before I turned and headed out of the office. I made it out into the corridor and immediately leaned against the stone well, letting out a shaky breath and putting my head in my hands.

I didn't know an awful deal about what had happened to my mother. I knew it was hard for my dad to talk about, but I knew the basic story. Death Eater's had killed her whole family the Christmas after I'd been born – months before Voldemort had gone after Harry. My dad blamed himself. He said he should have been there to save her – I often heard James and Remus telling him he shouldn't put that weight on himself, but I knew it was one he carried with him constantly. Sirius Black had loved Marlene McKinnon with all his heart, and he hadn't been able to save her.

I wasn't sure if he knew which Death Eater's had done it, but now I knew one. Travers. He was alive. In Azkaban, but alive. And if he ever gets out, I swear I'll make sure he pays for what he did.

"Cass."

I jumped slightly, Harry had just emerged from the office and was looking at me in concern.

"Hey."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly.

"Honestly? I don't know," I admitted, and he gave me a sympathetic look.

"I can imagine…but Dumbledore was right. Just remember he's paying for what he did, he's rotting away in Azkaban."

I bit my lip, nodding in reply to my god-brother. Harry wouldn't understand why that wasn't enough for me, these were some of the ways we were different. Harry believed in justice, I believed in revenge.

"What did Dumbledore say about the dream?" I changed the subject.

"Well," Harry sighed, "The other man in the dream I didn't know…it's Crouch's son."

My eyes widened, "What?"

He nodded grimly, "I know, it's crazy. He's dead...he's been dead for years."

"But they're just dreams," I said quietly, not even really believing it as I said it, "So, we don't need to worry about them right?"

"That's what Dumbledore said," Harry sighed, "But it just felt so…"

"Real?" I finished for him in a whisper, and he nodded – frowning a little in confusion at me.

"Yeah."

There was a part of me that just wanted to tell Harry all about the dream I'd had during the Second Task, but something stopped me. For some reason, this was the one thing I wanted to keep to myself.

"Sometimes it's unwise to discredit dreams," I said quietly.

Harry's eyebrows raised, "Who told you that?"

I shrugged, knowing he would not approve of where this particular piece of advice came from, "I must have heard it somewhere."

Harry gave me one more curious glance but didn't question it further as the two of us walked from the Headmasters office. I still had so many questions about everything we'd seen and decided as soon as I got the chance I would try and find any information I could on the Death Eater trials that had happened back then. There was something about Crouch's son that wasn't adding up in my head – and I needed to figure out what it was.

* * *

I spent most of the week in the library, not only researching my newfound interest in the old trials – but also starting exam prep. I knew in the coming weeks I'd have to spend a lot of time helping Harry with the Third Task so wanted to get started on my study early.

I jumped slightly when someone sat down across from me rather abruptly as I was in the middle of revising for Herbology, and raised my eyebrows in surprise when I realised it was Madi who had sat across from me. The two of us hadn't spoken a word to each other since our little spat last week. It hadn't been too hard; I was still avoiding the Common Room as much as possible.

"Are you here to study?" I asked drily, not sure what her intentions were yet.

She rolled her eyes, "This is getting ridiculous, we've never gone this long without talking."

"And who's fault is that?" I snapped stubbornly, crossing my arms and fixing her with a glare.

"Both of ours," she shot back, before she let out a sigh and her face softened, "Look, we both said some things we shouldn't have. I'm sorry okay? I just get frustrated with you sometimes because I can see that you're hurting but you're too much of a stubborn bitch to let us help you!"

"If this is supposed to be an apology, it's not a very good one," my eyes narrowed.

"Like I said," she smirked, "Stubborn bitch."

I held my ground for a few more moments before letting out a sigh and giving her a small smile, "Fine." I really needed my best friend right now.

"Ugh, thank Merlin," she immediately grinned, "I was getting sick of only hanging around Blaise."

I laughed, "Sick of your own boyfriend?"

She shrugged, her eyes twinkling, "He can be very annoying."

"You're right on that one," I said, abandoning any further plans of study and gathering all my books before standing up, the two of us making our way out of the library.

"So what happened with Potter the other day?" Madi asked. I found out after we'd seen Dumbledore how Harry had practically fainted in Divination when he'd had the dream. Malfoy and the other's hadn't missed any opportunity to make fun of him for it all week.

I let out a sigh, "A lot. He was having dreams like that over the summer, but he hadn't had any since school started until the other day."

Her eyes widened, "Shit, that's scary. Do you have any idea what it means?"

I shrugged helplessly, "I wish I did. The last thing he needs is strange dreams distracting him from the Third Task."

She grinned, "Speaking of...what are we doing for your birthday?"

"I don't want to do anything, it's so close to the task and exams...it just feels stupid to do something," I shrugged.

Madi stopped walking, looking appalled, "You can't do nothing!"

"Mads, please," I groaned, "I really don't feel like partying right now."

She shook her head, determined, "No, come on! Even if we just have us girls, and Theo and Blaise in our dorm. We'll smuggle in some Firewhiskey…" she gave me a small nudge, "Pleeeeease!"

I groaned, trying to push her away as she continued to bump into me playfully, "If I say yes will you stop!"

She squealed happily, "Yes! Don't worry, it'll be fun."

I rolled my eyes again, the two of us continuing towards the Common Room in silence for a while. Maybe it would be nice to just spend some time with my friends, try and have some fun and forget about everything else for a little.

"Oh, while we're talking about birthdays," Madi turned to me with a grimace, "Are you planning on going to Malfoy's on Thursday?"

I snorted, "No way. I've already decided I'm going to spend the whole evening in Gryffindor Tower and then sneak back through once everyone is drunk enough not to spot me."

She looked at me quizzically, "Why even bother sneaking back in? It'll probably be late, why don't you just stay with Fred?"

I coughed awkwardly, feeling my cheeks turn pink, "We uh...don't really have that kind of relationship."

"Really? But you guys have been together for ages! I thought it might have happened by now," Madi seemed stunned, only making me feel even more embarrassed.

"He is two years older than me," I said with a shrug, "So, he's never really tried to make anything like that happen...and I guess I just don't feel like I'm there yet. Besides, don't you think I would have told you if something had happened?"

"Huh," my best friend nodded thoughtfully, glancing at me for a moment before staring straight ahead and falling silent again.

"Well," she said after a moment, and I noticed her cheeks now had a pink tinge to them too, "Blaise and I may have...taken that step."

I stopped, letting out a gasp and grinning at her excitedly, "When!? And why didn't you tell me?!" I gave her arm a little slap.

She was the one who looked a little sheepish now, "It was only on my birthday, and I didn't say anything cos we've never really talked about anything like that before - I didn't know if you'd want to know or not."

"Well, I am happy for you two," I said with a smile, "But I don't want to hear all the gory details, it's kind of like my brother and sister shagging to me..."

"EW!" she shoved me as we both burst into laughter, "Fine!"

I looked at her with a small smile as we calmed down, noticing how happy she seemed, "Do you feel different?" I asked.

She shook her head, "No...but it just feels like we're closer now," she regarded me thoughtfully for a moment, "It's okay that you don't feel like you're ready yet. You should wait until you're sure. Trust me, it'll make it so much better."

I smiled at her gratefully, giving her a small sidelong hug, "I'm glad we're friends again."

"You're stuck with me forever."

We laughed again, linking our arms as we walked the rest of the way to the Common Room.

* * *

Unluckily for me, I ended up getting detention on Thursday afternoon - which meant I didn't make it back to the Common Room after classes until way closer to party time than I would have liked. I would have avoided it all together, but I didn't really fancy showing up at Gryffindor Tower still wearing my green robes. While I felt much more comfortable being in there these days I didn't really want to push it.

"I don't understand why you aren't staying," Tracey was complaining as I raced to get changed.

"I'd rather spend time with my boyfriend than celebrate Malfoy," I shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's still a party," Lillian protested with a frown, "Who cares who it's for?"

"Oh, let it go," Daphne came to my rescue, shooting me a subtle smile in support, "We have her birthday to look forward to anyway."

"That's true," Lillian sighed, seemingly appeased now. Meanwhile, I was ruffling through the clothes strewn over my bed for my favourite fluffy black sweater - narrowing my eyes when I immediately knew where it was.

"Madi, did you steal my sweater again!?"

"Oh shit," she said, glancing at me sheepishly, "It's in Blaise's room, sorry."

I rolled my eyes in irritation, before quickly heading out the door and making my way to the boys dorms. I could already hear the music and laughter starting in the Common Room, quickening my pace a little as I rounded the corner.

Blaise turned in surprise from where he was standing at the dresser looking through shirts as I walked in, watching with eyebrows raised as I quickly scanned the room without even acknowledging him.

"Your sweater is-" he didn't even finish before I spotted it sitting on his trunk and grabbed it triumphantly, "-never mind."

I pulled the sweater over my head, letting out a happy sigh at the instant softness. I was never letting Madi have this again.

Deciding I probably had a little time before I needed to make my escape, I flopped onto my back on Blaise's bed - turning my head to look at him as he continued to deliberate over his shirts like it was the biggest decision he'd ever made in his life.

"I thought you wanted to be as far away from here as possible tonight?"

"I'll go soon," I replied absentmindedly.

"Hmm," Blaise said, looking at me out of the corner of his eye, "You sure you aren't hoping to accidentally run into the birthday boy?"

I turned to glare sharply at him, "No."

He only smirked, finally deciding on a sweater and pulling it on.

"In fact," I stood up, still glaring at him, "I think I'll go now."

"You do that."

"That sweater is ugly."

"Bitch!" I grinned when I heard him yell after me, secretly hoping it sent him into another spin about his shirt choice. Honestly, and people said Malfoy was the one who was obsessed with his looks.

"Black."

Ah, speak of the devil.

I stopped when the blonde appeared in front of me, glaring coldly at me for even daring to be in his presence as he usually did lately.

"Malfoy," I said back just as flatly.

His eyes moved past me to the direction I'd just come from, "You keep spending too much time on that side of the dorms and you'll start to get a reputation," he said drily.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh yes, that's me. Just whoring myself off as usual." Not feeling like being insulted any more, I moved past him with all intent to walk right out.

"Are you not staying?"

He apparently had other ideas, and I turned back with a smirk, "No - don't worry, I won't be around to ruin your night."

"Fantastic, now I can actually enjoy myself," he drawled, and I frowned when I didn't hear any malice to his taunting. It almost sounded...playful? Like before.

"Consider it my present to you," I shot back, playing along. He rolled his eyes, but then held my gaze for a moment - like he was trying to decide what to do next. We hadn't spoken this much since Easter break, I had never been more unsure of how to act around him.

I decided I wanted to choose how this one ended, so I softened my gaze and gave him a small smile, "Happy birthday, Malfoy."

I saw his eyes flicker in surprise, but I didn't give him a chance to respond as I continued around the corner before I could stop to think about what had just happened. How was it even when he hated me he still managed to throw me off completely?

The Fat Lady scowled as soon as I reached the portrait for the Gryffindor Common Room, "Ugh, you again."

I smirked, "Me again. Fairy lights."

The lady in the portrait made a very unhappy sound but swung open at the sound of the correct password. I spotted Harry on the couch by the fire, watching a seemingly intense match of Wizard Chess going on between Ron and Dean Thomas and headed over, throwing myself in the armchair nearby.

"Hey," Harry shot me a quick smile, then re-focused on the game happening in front of him.

"Who's winning?" I turned to look at Ginny, who was sitting on some cushions.

"Dean I think," she responded, then shrugged, "Can't be sure though, I don't really understand the game."

"Me either," I agreed, "It's too boring for me."

Harry spared an incredulous glance in our direction, "Boring?"

Ginny and I exchanged an eye roll, my attention then drawn as the portrait swung open again and Fred and George walked in. Fred grinned when he spotted me, walking over and effortlessly picking me up off the armchair enough to sit in it himself and pull me back down on his lap - laughing at my squeals of protest.

"How was your detention?" he asked, wrapping his arms firmly around me.

"How was yours?" I shot back playfully, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"Worth it," he briefly looked over and exchanged a wink with George. The two of them had landed double detentions for 2 weeks after defacing every single portrait on the sixth floor corridor. All I'd done was 'accidentally' banish my cushion in Charms at Parkinson all lesson. Flitwick had not been convinced it was still an accident after the sixth time.

"Your dedication - as usual - impresses me," I smiled.

"Mmm, thank you," he responded, pressing a gentle kiss on my shoulder. "What time are you gonna go back tonight?"

"As late as possible," I sighed, and he nodded in response before resting his head on my shoulder. We usually avoided any subject that involved Malfoy. I knew he'd probably noticed how I wasn't as amicable as I had been with the blonde before, but he'd never asked me why - he was probably just as scared of the answer as I was of having to tell him. I'm sure he much preferred it this way anyway.

"You know," he murmured into my neck. "You could just stay."

I tensed, shifting a little bit - ever since my conversation with Madi earlier in the week I had been wondering if this was going to come up. And despite how much I'd been thinking about it I still had no idea what to say.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said softly immediately, probably feeling me tense. "I'm not asking for anything from you."

"I know," I responded, turning to look at him. "You've never made me feel pressured in the slightest, Fred."

He smiled, pressing another kiss just between my neck and shoulder, "Good. I don't ever want you to feel like you have to do anything you aren't ready for. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are."

I smiled back at him, wondering how on earth I had managed to get this boy to decide he wanted to be with me - especially after everything I'd put him through.

"Thank you. You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

He winked, "I do, but feel free to remind me as often as you like."

I laughed, rolling my eyes a little as he pulled me even tighter to him and buried his head into my shoulder. I made brief eye contact with Harry, who I realised was watching us with a soft smile on his face and gave him one in return. He winked subtly, before returning to laughing at George trying to throw Ron off his game.

"Speaking of me being an amazing boyfriend," I turned back to Fred, "I happen to know it's your birthday very soon. Are you planning on doing anything in particular?"

"No," I sighed. I was getting rather sick of talking about my birthday. "I'll probably just do something with the girls in the dorm. There's way too much going on around then for a party."

"Fair enough," he shrugged, "As long as I get to see you, too."

I pressed a gentle kiss on his lips with a smile, "Of course."

"Oi, you two!" George called over, making me giggle when Fred glared at him for the interruption of what probably would have progressed further than a peck. "Exploding Snap, you in?"

I grinned, patting my boyfriend's cheek playfully in comfort and nodding at his brother, "Definitely."

* * *

It was even later than I'd planned when I finally headed back to the dungeons. I was fairly confident I would make it in without attracting any attention, I doubted the party was even still going on. Snape was usually good at turning a blind eye to these sorts of things as long as they didn't get too out of hand, or go on too late.

I yawned as I stepped in through the portrait, pleased to see my suspicions were right and there was no one left in the Common Room. The last thing I'd wanted was to run into anyone, especially Malfoy after our weird interaction earlier. Why was it every time I decided I wanted nothing to do with him, I still managed to find myself not being able to avoid him?

I almost jumped out of my skin when I reached the door to our dorm room and saw Parkinson just sitting against the wall in the dark.

"Holy Merlin, Parkinson! What the hell are you doing?"

She barely even looked at me, her eyes flicking up to my face and then resuming staring blankly ahead of her as she shrugged, "I didn't want to wake everyone else up."

I studied her a little closer, realising that she was crying - it all making much more sense why she didn't want to be in the dorm room. The chances of being in there crying without someone hearing were very minimal, unless of course she was smart enough to use a Silencing Charm (which I doubted).

I let out a sigh, "Why are you out here crying, anyway?" She had spent the majority of this year being an absolute cow to me, but it wasn't as if she was as awful to me as Avery was. Sometimes we did manage to sort of act like friends, and she didn't deserve to be sitting out here alone in the dark.

"Why do you care?" she replied icily, the defensiveness clear in her tone - before she let out another loud sniff.

I rolled my eyes, "Well, you are kind of in my way...so."

She scoffed, managing to shoot me a cold glare through her tears. I stood there awkwardly in silence, trying to decide whether to just leave her be and go in or wait around a little longer.

She eventually seemed to decide even confiding in me was better than being alone, "Theodore dumped me," she said glumly.

"Oh," I said, blinking a little. I didn't really know what else to say, we had all been wondering when this was coming - but I knew expressing that probably wasn't going to make her feel any better.

"You don't have to pretend to be surprised," she scowled, "I know everyone's just been waiting for it to happen."

I shot her a slightly apologetic look, "Are we that obvious?"

"Honestly, as soon as Montague and Daphne broke up I was waiting for it too," she shrugged sadly, not seeming as bothered as I thought she might.

"You knew about him and Daphne?" I asked in surprise.

"It's pretty obvious, even if he would deny it if I ever asked. I'm not daft, I knew he liked her when I went after him."

"So, why go after him then?" I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling like I needed to stick up for my friend.

She let out another sad sigh, shrugging a little helplessly, "Because, I actually liked him. He's a good guy, and he's nice to me even when I'm a horrid cow."

I smirked, "You really are sometimes."

She shot me a withering glare, and despite the situation we shared a giggle.

"I feel so pathetic," she scowled, "I knew it was never going to last and I still let myself get attached."

"Well, you didn't know it wasn't going to last," I said quietly.

Parkinson shook her head, looking at me incredulously, "Of course it wasn't. A relationship will never last if one person has feelings for someone else."

I felt myself pale slightly, shifting on my feet, "It could."

"How can it? Deep down he always knew he wanted Daphne more than he wanted me, and I just have to accept that," she let out a long breath, finally standing up - regarding me thoughtfully.

"You didn't have to stop, I'm surprised you did actually. I've been awful to you all year."

I forced a smile on my face, not wanting to let her know how much her comments had sent my head reeling. "Well, I suppose I'm a better person than you."

She rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her face before she headed into the dorm without another word - leaving the door ajar for me behind her.

I stood for another moment, my mind trying to catch up with everything that had just happened. I never would have thought that a conversation with Pansy Parkinson would be so enlightening, or that I would ever think something she was saying was right. But deep down I knew she was, being in a relationship with someone when you knew you had feelings for someone else was definitely complicated.

I brushed off any further thoughts and walked into the dorm after her, I was way too exhausted to unpack all of that right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally some more information about her mum revealed :'). I wonder how many of you guessed it was Marlene McKinnon hehe.
> 
> Three chapters and a whole lot of shit still left to go down! BUCKLE UP!


	15. Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There's a scene in this chapter I waited this entire story to write! I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did, it's probably my favourite chapter.

Despite it all, I woke up on the morning of the 21st of June with a smile on my face. I had always enjoyed my birthday at Hogwarts, especially because it was usually the last week of term so in previous years we'd barely been doing work in classes. This year was different not only because we actually had exams now, but also because of the Third Task. I'd barely had time to breathe the last couple of weeks between studying and helping Harry master as many advanced spells as he could, and my birthday had snuck up on me before I knew it.

After opening all my presents in the morning - which was mostly sweets and Quidditch gear as I'd requested - I pushed through our gruelling day of classes. Most of class time these days was exam prep anyway, I was however given a birthday treat when Crabbe accidentally poisoned himself in Potions last period and ended up in the Hospital Wing.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you guys tonight?" I asked Harry as we walked towards Gryffindor Tower, where I was set to meet Fred.

He shook his head, "No way, it's your birthday! Go and enjoy yourself, you've helped me more than enough these last couple of weeks."

"Well I don't really fancy you getting yourself killed in this maze," I responded playfully, bumping into his shoulder lightly when he grimaced.

"Seriously," he said firmly, "Go enjoy your night, you bloody deserve it."

I smiled at him, giving in with a nod, "Fine, but I want a full progress report tomorrow Potter!"

We'd almost reached the Fat Lady now, and he shot me a wink as Fred walked over to meet us, "Whatever you say, Black."

"I mean it!" I warned.

He rolled his eyes, pulling me into a tight hug, "Happy birthday Cass - sometimes I'm glad you were born."

I shoved him away as he laughed, "Arsehole! You'd be dead without me and you know it!"

"And you'd be bored without me!" he called over his shoulder, eyes twinkling as he disappeared into the portrait.

Fred was smiling at me in amusement when he finally came to a stop in front of me, "You two have the funniest way of telling each other how much you care."

I smiled fondly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Come on," he reached for my hand, starting to pull me away from the tower, "I'm making every moment count before you have to meet the others."

"And where exactly are you dragging me off too?" I questioned.

"Well," he said, "I may have commissioned Dobby to make all of your favourite foods so we can have a picnic."

I blinked a little, a soft smile on my face as I looked up at him, "That sounds amazing, thank you."

He kissed the top of my head softly, "You deserve it. Now, there is no way I am letting you simply walk on your birthday." He stopped suddenly, gesturing for me to hop onto his back - and I shook my head with a laugh.

"I'm capable of walking Fred Weasley!"

"Doesn't mean you should have too," he winked, not taking no for an answer and turning his back to me determinedly. I shook my head again, not being able to keep the smile off my face as I gave in and jumped up onto his back - letting out a squeal when he hoisted me up even higher.

"You're an idiot," I commented, leaning my chin on his shoulder.

"But I'm your idiot."

I was glad he couldn't see my face, my smile faltering a little at his words.

"Yeah," I said quietly, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder.

We didn't walk for much longer, coming out into the courtyard - and I let out a gasp when I saw the most perfect little picnic set up just next to the fountain. Dobby was still fussing around the blanket, but he stopped and let out an excited squeal when he saw us approaching.

"Oooh! Happy birthday, Missus Cassie! Dobby hopes everything is to her liking!"

I smiled warmly at the elf as I slid down off Fred's back, "It all looks perfect Dobby - you're the best."

Dobby shook his head adamantly, "Dobby is just doing what Dobby does, miss!"

"Thanks Dobby," Fred grinned at him as well, and I laughed when the two of them saluted each other - obviously something Fred had taught the elf to do, before he disappeared.

"Do me a favour?" I turned to my boyfriend with a smirk, and he raised an eyebrow in question, "Make sure to tell Hermione about this."

Fred roared with laughter, knowing as well as I do how much this would set Hermione off. The two of us settled on the blanket, and I looked around at all the food with a smile - I could tell how much effort he'd gone too to make this as perfect as he could.

"You really didn't have to do all this," I said.

He shrugged, "I wanted too, I know there's heaps going on right now, but you deserve to be able to enjoy your birthday."

"I really don't deserve you," I said quietly, I had been feeling more and more guilty as the days went on lately. I really was trying to make it work with Fred - but even since that stupid conversation with Parkinson it was becoming harder to convince myself everything was fine.

"I wish you'd stop saying that," he frowned, looking at me in concern. "It's not true."

My heart ached as I smiled reassuringly back at him, if only he knew how true it was.

"Now," he clapped his hands together, the grin returning to his face, "Since it's your birthday, I won't stop you from having dessert before dinner if that's the way you want to go..."

I laughed, and he shot me a small wink before knowingly reaching for the bowl of pasta and offering it to me, which I accepted gratefully with a smile.

"How did you know?"

"You would literally choose pasta over anything."

"You're so right."

He laughed again, before we started to dig into all the amazing food around us. I felt like I wasn't even going to be able to stand after we finished it all, but I had no complaints. There was one thing that this boy had always been incredible at - making me happy.

"Cass, I know I'm beautiful - but you could try not to be so obvious with your staring," he teased, breaking me out of my thoughts. I blushed, not realising I had been staring at him so blatantly.

"I just can't help myself," I shot back with a wink, and he chuckled before pulling me close to him so I was resting on his chest.

"Happy birthday, gorgeous." He pressed a lingering kiss on my temple, and I closed my eyes with a happy sigh.

"Thanks for making it so amazing," I responded, tilting my head up to press a longer kiss on his lips.

"Mmm," he pulled me in a little tighter, "How long do you think we have before you have to go?" he murmured against my lips.

"Long enough," I smirked, letting out a giggle when he pulled me up into his lap.

"Good," he pushed some hair out of my face, "Now I can say happy birthday properly."

I smiled again, kissing him once again and letting myself get lost with him for a while. This was what it was supposed to be like. No games, no second-guessing - just having someone who would care about you and do anything for you. Maybe I had been wrong before, maybe this was right.

Soon, we walked hand in hand back down to the dungeons - stopping every so often to snog against the wall for a while before we finally reached the portrait and I smiled up at him.

"Thank you again, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my birthday."

"You're welcome," he kissed me lightly again, lingering for just a moment, "Have fun, but not too much fun!" he warned jokingly, winking as he turned and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower.

I was still grinning as I walked through the Common Room and towards the dorms, I couldn't remember the last time I had felt this happy. With everything that had been going on this year, I'd almost forgotten how nice it felt.

"Finally!" Lillian exclaimed as I walked in, and I shook my head with a smile when I realised they had all definitely started drinking without me.

"Sorry," Daphne apologised, "We got bored - and it was just sitting here!"

"It's fine," I replied, walking over and flopping on the bed between her and Madi, "Just means I need to catch up!"

Daphne handed me the bottle of Firewhiskey, and I took a massive swig - laughing after when they all cheered for me. The girls had spread themselves out over mine and Daphne's beds, and Blaise and Theodore were lounging on the floor in the middle.

"What did I miss then?" I asked, looking between them all.

"A game of Never Have I Ever that I wish I'd never agreed too," Theodore grimaced.

"I don't know why we still play," Blaise shook his head, "We always end up learning things about each other we never wanted to know…"

"That's why it's so fun," Tracey said with a wink, making us all laugh again as the bottle of Firewhiskey continued to be passed around. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I relaxed and drank with my friends, I was pretty sure this was my best birthday ever.

"How was your dinner date?" Daphne bumped me with her shoulder after we were all considerably giggly, looking at me knowingly, "You're looking very happy this evening."

"It was really good," I replied honestly, blushing a little, "Better than I could have asked for."

Madi reached over to take the Firewhiskey back from Blaise and looked at me with raised eyebrows, "Really?"

I nodded, "Really."

She looked a little surprised, nodding thoughtfully, "Good."

"Ugh," Lillian let out a groan, letting her head hang off the end of my bed, "Now that you mention it - I'm starving."

"Same," Tracey agreed, "Why do we always forget to have food with us when we drink? I always get hungry!" Everyone else nodded in agreement, all suddenly looking incredibly dejected.

I shrugged, "I can go get you all food."

Lillian sat up immediately, looking at me eagerly, "Would you?"

"Yes, but only so you'll stop complaining!" I teased, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.

"I feel bad making you go," Daphne frowned, "It's your birthday…"

I waved her off, "I don't care, besides - you lot are mad if you think I'm letting you in on my secret way into the kitchens."

"One day you'll tell us!" Theodore called after me, and I simply gave him the finger over my shoulder in response as I walked out of the room. We had only been drinking for about an hour, but as usual I was already considerably tipsy thanks to my stupid tiny body weight.

"Are you leaving your own party so soon?"

I scoffed quietly, not even sure why I was surprised when Malfoy appeared in front of me - looking at me with raised eyebrows and a slightly smug smirk when he noticed I wasn't exactly standing upright. We still hadn't spoken since his birthday, and now that I came to think of it - I had barely noticed him flaunting him and Avery in my face since. Not that I had been paying all that much attention, I hadn't had a spare moment the last couple of weeks.

"I'm on a mission actually," I responded, trying to keep my tone indifferent, "For food."

He nodded, a playful smirk on his lips as he observed me, "Are you sure you'll make it?"

I blinked in surprise at the lack of coldness in his voice, "I think I'll manage," I shook it off, shooting back a retort effortlessly and trying not to linger on how easy it had been to slip back into our old banter. Why was he talking to me like he didn't hate me?

I held his gaze for a moment, trying to figure out what was possibly running through his head - before I had to turn away when I felt a traitorous blush start creeping onto my cheeks. Which was definitely happening because of the Firewhiskey.

"Well, I should probably go," I coughed, avoiding his gaze that was still focused on me and moving to step around him.

"Wait," he stepped in front of me, and I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I want to call a truce," he said.

I blinked. "A truce?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, a truce. I'm getting kind of bored of trying to torture you now, obviously it's not working - so what's the point in me wasting my energy?"

I scoffed, fixing him with a small glare, "Right. Well, thanks I guess?" I tried not to focus too much on the fact that he was basically admitting he was trying to use Avery to get to me, that was not something I wanted to unpack right now.

He smirked, a little of the coldness falling from his eyes, "Consider it my present to you."

I bit back a smile when he repeated my words from a few weeks earlier, there was no way I was willing to just forgive and forget. I wasn't sure if I could risk letting him back into my life, not when things were so good with Fred.

"Is that all?"

He looked back at me for a moment before he stepped a little closer and leaned down - pressing a gentle kiss on my cheek as I stood frozen with wide eyes.

"Happy birthday, Black," he whispered in my ear, stepping back and regarding me with a smug smirk.

"Thanks," I managed to breathe out, still staring at him with wide eyes - before rushing past him and out of the Common Room before he could spring anything else on me.

* * *

My mind was racing the whole way to the kitchens. Just when I thought I had it all figured out - that everything with Fred would work out and I would be fine - Malfoy manages to throw me completely off balance again.

I really had convinced myself the whole thing had been a terrible lapse of judgement, that I couldn't possibly feel anything for him that was remotely real. But now here I was again, questioning everything. It wasn't fair, why couldn't he just leave me be? I was so focused on the anger and confusion running through me that I didn't hear the spell come from behind me until it was too late - and suddenly I found myself on the floor. Scrambling up as quick as I could, I whirled around - my head spinning from all the sudden movement and eyes narrowing when I saw who had jinxed me.

"Avery...why am I not surprised? You would hex someone when their back is turned."

Gorgia Avery was standing a few metres away from me, glaring furiously. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

I rolled my eyes, "Do you have a problem with me nicking food from the kitchens or something?"

She let out a frustrated scream, and I stepped back a little instinctively - noting that she still had her wand drawn. I had learnt my lesson last time when I underestimated her. "Stop playing dumb, you cow! I am so sick of you acting like you're so innocent!"

"If this is about whoever deformed your face before Easter," I said lowly, "I told you I had nothing to do with it."

"I don't give a fuck about that right now," she hissed, "Even though I know it was you!"

I shrugged, "Could have been, I can't say I really disagree with whoever did it."

She all but ignored the comment, stepping closer and narrowing her eyes dangerously, "How many times do I have to warn you to stay away from Draco?"

Oh right, so she had just seen what happened in the Common Room then.

"I thought the message might have stuck last time," she hissed, smirking a little when I involuntarily flinched at the reminder of what she'd done back in December. "But then I saw you at Easter and thought I was going to have to remind you."

"Well, it seemed like it all worked out fine for you in the end. He seems to have found his way back to you," I kept my voice steady, there was no chance I was letting her think she had any effect on me. "Though I'm not sure what keeps him coming back all the time…"

"And yet, somehow," she snarled, obviously angry enough to ignore my insult. "You still won't leave it alone!"

I scoffed bitterly, "You're just as delusional as you've always been."

"You're the delusional one," she shot back with a cruel smirk, "Do you really think he cares? You were just a stupid phase, eventually he'll get bored and realise there is nothing special about you at all."

I knew she was just trying to get to me, and I shouldn't let her - but I was not in the mood to hear her belittle me tonight and let out a cold laugh.

"This jealousy vendetta of yours is the only thing getting boring, Avery."

"What do I have to be jealous of? Eventually they'll all see what I already know - that you will never be one of us. You're a filthy traitor, just like your father. So, for the last time, stay away from what's mine."

"Oh yeah?" I hissed, past the point of caring what she might do to me - she crossed the line when she brought my father into this. "If he's yours, then why has he spent all year chasing after me?" I smirked, slowly moving to lift the chain sitting around my neck and flashing it to her, "Why did he buy me this last Christmas to replace the one you destroyed?"

Her eyes flashed, angrier than I'd ever seen her - and in an instant her wand was raised, " _Stupefy_!"

I just ducked out of the way as the curse came firing at me, hastily pulling out my own wand and pointing it right back at her. I was not letting her get the best of me this time around.

" _Flipendo_!"

" _Protego_!" Gorgia only just managed to get her shield charm up, my spell still managing to knock her a little off balance - and I reminded myself to thank Harry for getting pulled into this task, or I wouldn't be as equipped with as many defensive spells as I was now.

"Just give it up, Avery," I hissed at her, "You're never going to best me, no matter what you do."

She glared back at me, a dangerous look in her eyes as she raised her wand again anyway, "Oh yeah, bitch? Let's see if you can stop this one…"

" _Cru_ -" my eyes widened when I heard the first syllable leave her mouth, the cold fear spreading through me instantly - she wouldn't dare cast an Unforgivable.

I braced myself - but she never got the words out before a hand grabbed her arm and yanked it away from me, and we both turned to see a furious Draco Malfoy looking between us incredulously.

"What the fuck are you playing at!?"

"Draco!" I rolled my eyes when Gorgia's whole demeanour instantly changed, lowering my wand and trying to get my breathing back to a normal pace. I would never admit it, but the threat of an Unforgivable had terrified me.

"She attacked me, I was just trying to defend myself," Gorgia was simpering, and I snorted in disbelief.

"Really?" Malfoy said, his tone dangerously low, "Because it sounded like you were about to use an Unforgivable Curse on her."

"I…" Gorgia balked, and I blinked in surprise when he didn't even seem to buy her bullshit for one second.

"Go, Avery." he continued just as coldly, "Now. Before I find Snape and tell him exactly what I just saw."

"But!" Gorgia looked like she was about to throw a tantrum like a five-year-old, but another especially fierce glare from Malfoy stopped her in her tracks. She shot me one last menacing look, before turning and flouncing off. We both watched her go in silence, and I let out another shaky breath.

"Wait...what are you doing here?" I questioned, suddenly realising it wasn't exactly normal for Malfoy to be wandering around down here.

He whirled around to face me, his eyes flashing furiously, "What the bloody hell were _you_ doing?! Do you realise how stupid it was putting yourself in that situation?"

My mouth dropped open, he was yelling at me? "She's the one who came after me!"

"I warned you to leave it alone, we all told you what she was capable of - but you just couldn't help yourself could you?" he hissed, looking angrier than I'd ever seen him.

"I can take care of myself," I said back, my eyes narrowing.

"See, you keep saying that," he snarled. "But what I just saw says different," he paced a few steps in front of me, letting out a frustrated growl. "This is exactly why I told Snape what she did in December, so he would punish her and maybe she'd leave you alone!"

My eyes widened in shock, "That was you?" I stammered out. In all the time I'd wondered who had been the one to tell Snape - it had never once crossed my mind that it was Malfoy.

"Yes!" he went on like he was only half-listening to me, continuing to pace in frustration, "But he didn't - because Merlin forbid you ever let anyone help you, so she just kept going!"

"I don't need anyone's help!" I shot back in frustration, still trying to process what he was telling me. This whole time, he had been the one who was trying to protect me.

He finally stopped pacing, turning to glare at me again, "Can you stop being so bloody stubborn for once in your life?"

"I never asked you to protect me!" I stepped closer to him again, the anger starting to bubble inside me now too.

"Too bad," he shot back, holding my glare. I had to suck in a breath as his eyes met mine - they were wilder than I'd ever seen them, a swirling storm of silver and grey, and I couldn't look away.

"Is that why you got back with her too, then? To protect me?" I bit out, desperately trying to find a way to make my body move away.

His eyes flickered with something that almost looked like regret, a deep frown crossing his face, "No."

"Then why?"

"Because," he said quietly, both of us still breathing heavily from the energy that was crackling between us - neither of us daring to be the one to back off first, and _goddamnit_ I honestly didn't want him to move away. "I wanted you to feel what I felt."

I had to stop the surprised gasp from falling from my lips, finally forcing myself to take a small step back at his admission. "Well, all you did was prove to me why I never should have trusted you in the first place."

The storm in his eyes darkened, "Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"I know when you're lying, Black," he sneered, "Haven't you learnt that by now? You still feel exactly the same way as you did for me before," he continued harshly - refusing to tear his gaze away from me.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I hissed, holding my ground when he stepped closer to me again, so we were practically chest to chest. My head was spinning, and not just from the last amounts of Firewhiskey that was still in my system. Being this close to him was sending me into a frenzy, and for every part of me screaming to walk away there was another part telling me to stay right where I was.

"Prove it," he all but whispered.

And then before I could even fully comprehend what I was doing, my hands were around his neck and I was pulling his lips down onto mine.

I threw everything into the kiss. All the months of confusion, of trying to avoid what I was feeling or telling myself that it was wrong, the frustration, the fear. It only took him a second to react - one arm wrapping around my waist to pull me even closer to him and his other hand threading into my hair as he kissed me back just as fiercely. It was like something inside me was set on fire, suddenly all I could think about was him - the way his hand felt in my hair and how he was holding me tight to him like he was scared to ever let go, how his lips moving against mine had my knees weak and my heart racing.

I had been wrong before.

This is what it was supposed to feel like.

I came to my senses when I felt my back hit the cold wall behind me and quickly shoved him away from me with a gasp - letting my head fall back against the wall as I tried to regain my breath.

_What the fuck had I just done?_

"I told you."

I turned to look at where he was still standing in front of me, and while he had a slightly triumphant look in his eyes, he was watching me carefully - like he wasn't sure what to do next. He was just as out of breath as me, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as those silver eyes watched me. If I had thought they were impossible to look away from before, it was nothing compared to the liquid mercury I was looking into now – for the first time I didn't feel like he was shielding himself from me, I could see every emotion he was feeling shining in them and it was making my head race even more.

Then, the guilt hit me like a tidal wave and I finally tore my eyes away from his - staring down the corridor and feeling the tears start to prick at my eyes.

"That shouldn't have happened…"

"Black-"

I didn't let him finish, shaking my head and pushing off the wall, "No, don't...I can't okay?"

I took off before he could stop me, not stopping until I reached the very top of the Astronomy Tower and throwing myself against the railing as I burst into tears.

No kiss that I had ever shared with Fred had felt like that, and it only told me what I already knew. I fancied Malfoy, maybe even more than I'd thought before. There was no chance of me denying it anymore, and the strangest part was that I found I didn't want to. He had been doing more for me this entire year than I had even known, slowly but surely working his way through my walls. I couldn't be afraid of it this time, I owed it to myself and to him to try and figure it out. And I owed it to Fred to let him go. He didn't deserve this.

I let out another long sigh, gazing out over the grounds - the giant maze Harry would be venturing through in only a couple of days looming in the distance.

Happy birthday to me.

* * *

Three days later, the day of the Third Task - I still hadn't told Fred what had happened between me and Malfoy. It wasn't intentional, we'd had exams and I had barely even seen him except for in passing in the mornings - and it didn't really feel like the right time when he was doing his O.W.L.'s. I hated that I was keeping it from him, but I knew it wouldn't really make much of a difference if I waited until after the task. He was going to hate me either way.

To Malfoy's credit - he seemed to understand I needed space and had pretty much left me alone. The most interaction we had was eye contact across the breakfast table or when I caught him staring at me during some of our exams. I knew he wouldn't wait forever though, and I owed him a conversation as much as I owed Fred one.

"You just have to get through today," Madi said, smiling at me encouragingly as she, Daphne and I walked to breakfast the morning of the 24th. By the time I had trudged back to the Common Room the night of my birthday everyone had fallen asleep, and the next morning I made up some excuse of passing out in the kitchens - which was enough to appease them as they all thought it was hilarious and would always take any opportunity to make fun of me. But Madi and Daphne had not been fooled, immediately quizzing me on what had happened - and I told them everything. Both of them had agreed with me that it would be best to wait to talk to Fred until after the Third Task.

"I still can't believe I did that to him," I sighed, "I should have just broken up with him at Easter and avoided all of this…"

"I know, but at least you're decent enough to actually feel guilty about it," Daphne said gently, giving my arm an encouraging squeeze. "It's all going to work out, you'll see."

"And then, once all of this hurts a little less," Madi smirked. "You are giving us more detail about your kiss with Draco - because I am dying to know if he lives up to the hype."

Daphne burst into giggles as I shot Madi a glare, shoving her away from me as she laughed as well.

"I'm just trying to make you feel better!"

"Well, don't." I snapped, "Nothing is going to make me feel better until I've spoken to Fred."

The two of them exchanged a look but were smart enough not to comment any further. I headed straight for the Gryffindor table when we reached the Great Hall, sliding in next to Harry across from Ron and Hermione.

The table was extra boisterous this morning, everyone yelling out to Harry wishing him well for tonight - and he gave me a nervous smile as I sat down.

"You're going to be fine," I assured him, giving his arm a small squeeze - he only gave me an unconvinced nod in return. I glanced around the table with a frown, noticing Fred and George were missing again and turned to Ron in confusion.

"Where are your brothers?"

Ron scoffed, "Who knows? They've been all over the place this last couple of days."

I let out a sigh, resting my chin on one of my hands and miserably piling some eggs onto my plate. I barely looked up when an owl dropped off Hermione's usual copy of the Daily Prophet, until I heard her gasp loudly.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time, staring at her in shock as she spat her entire mouthful of pumpkin juice over the page.

"Nothing," she responded quickly, trying to shove it away but Ron was too quick - snatching it from her grasp.

"No way, not today - that cow."

"What? It's about me again, isn't it?" Harry asked, and I rolled my eyes. Skeeter would post something dreadful today of all days.

"No…"

I snorted, reaching over and grabbing the paper from Ron, "You are a horrible liar, Ronald Weasley."

Harry peered over my shoulder as I straightened up the paper and began to read the article plastered under a large picture of Harry.

_HARRY POTTER: 'DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS'_

_The boy who defeated He Who Must Not Be Named is unstable and possibly dangerous, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behaviour, which casts doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts school._

_Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead (relic of the curse with which You-Know-Who attempted to kill him). On Monday last, midway through a Divination lesson, your Daily Prophet reporter witnessed Potter storming from the class, claiming that his scar was hurting too badly to continue studying._

_It is possible, say top experts at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potter's brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion._

_"He might even be pretending," said one specialist, "this could be a plea for attention."_

_The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public._

_"Potter can speak Parseltongue," reveals Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts fourth-year. "There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a Duelling Club and set a snake on another boy. It was all hushed up, though. But he's made friends with werewolves and giants, too. We think he'd do anything for a bit of power."_

_Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art. Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times is none other than You-Know-Who himself. A member of the Dark Force Defence League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue "as worthy of investigation. Personally, I would be highly suspicious of anybody who could converse with snakes, as serpents are often used in the worst kinds of Dark Magic, and are historically associated with evil-doers." Similarly, "anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence"._

_Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the Tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening._

"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" was all Harry said, leaning back and going back to his breakfast seemingly unfazed by the article.

I scowled down at the paper before tossing it in front of us and going back to my own breakfast, reminding myself to rip Malfoy a new one for talking to Skeeter later.

"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination? There's no way she was there…" Ron was pondering.

"The window was open," Harry shrugged, and Hermione and I both looked at him incredulously.

"You were at the top of the North Tower! There's no way your voice would have carried all the way down to the grounds!" Hermione said in exasperation.

"Aren't you the one who was doing all that research on magical methods of bugging, Hermione?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I've been trying! But…" she trailed off, her eyes suddenly lighting up.

"What?" I said immediately, knowing a look of revelation when I saw one - but she shook her head, a slightly manic smile forming on her face.

"I...I think...I think we've got her!" she stood up abruptly, making Ron jump a little from the slight movement, and turned to race out of the Great Hall.

"Oi!" Ron called as we all stared after her in shock, "We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey, she's really lost it this time…"

"She must have," I agreed, "I never thought I'd see the day Hermione Granger risked being late for an exam."

"You're so lucky you're exempt, Harry," Ron grumbled, slumping in his seat at the mention of exams.

I scoffed; I would hardly count the reason for him being exempt making him lucky. Just then, Snape came striding past the Gryffindor table - catching my eye and tilting his head towards the door, obviously letting me know he wished to speak to me. I shrugged at Harry and Ron when they looked at me questioningly, saying I'd see them in History of Magic and heading out of the hall after my Head of House.

"Whatever it is, it wasn't me." I said, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Miss Avery came to me the other day, very convinced it was you who sent her that mystery exploding gift back in April," Snape said, studying me coolly.

I rolled my eyes, she couldn't get her revenge on me herself, so she'd gone to Snape. Cute.

"Like I told her sir, I had nothing to do with it - and she has no proof." I shrugged, making sure to give him an innocent smile to really sell it.

"Hmmm," Snape did not look convinced, but also not like he planned on actually doing anything about it either. Technically, there was no way he could punish me for anything even if he wanted, there was absolutely no proof that I had been behind it.

"Anything else you care to mention to me, Black?"

My eyebrows raised at his question, and I thought back over the last week or so. I hadn't had time to pull any pranks lately...so I had no idea what my Potions professor could be referring to unless-

My eyes widened, and I clenched my fists at my side as I let out a low hiss.

"Malfoy told you again, didn't he?"

Snape's expression didn't change as he continued to watch me, "I will remind you that duelling on school grounds is strictly forbidden, furthermore the use of any Unforgivable is grounds for immediate expulsion."

"Well, she didn't actually end up using it did she?" I snapped back, furious at Malfoy for bringing Snape into this when I didn't need his help again.

"You should count yourself lucky she didn't," he said quietly.

"Is there a point to this?" I sighed, crossing my arms in irritation.

"The point is," Snape said, his voice dangerously low, "I asked you months ago if you needed my assistance with this, and you turned me away saying you could handle it."

"I can handle it."

He sneered, "Can you?"

"Yes," I seethed, getting sick of everyone telling me I couldn't handle my own problems, "And as far as I can recall, I've still never actually directly told you anything she's done to me - which means you still have no authority to do anything about it."

He scoffed, regarding me with more distaste than I'd seen from him in a while, "Sometimes the arrogance of your father really does show in you."

I shrugged, not letting his comment bother me, "Maybe. That doesn't change my decision though."

Snape let out one more irritated sigh, seemingly realising I wasn't going to give in and stalking off. I watched him go, a little puzzled why he seemed to intent on me letting him help me with this. Usually he understood that I liked to handle things on my own, that's why he was my favourite professor - he didn't treat me like a child.

The doors to the Great Hall behind me opened again, and students started pouring out - hurrying to get to their exams. My eyes narrowed when I spotted a familiar blonde head in the crowd, and as he went to walk past me I reached over and yanked him off to the side.

"You went to Snape, _again?_ " I hissed, and his previously affronted look shifted to one of recognition at my question.

"Well, you certainly weren't going to," he drawled, not bothered by my angry tone.

"You still had no right!"

"Are we going to have this argument again?" he raised an eyebrow, "Because I quite liked how it ended last time."

I snatched the rolled-up copy of the Prophet he was carrying from his hand and whacked him upside the back of the head with it.

"Ow!" he glared at me, running a hand through his hair to try and keep it in place after the battering I'd just given him – and I tried not to pay too much attention to how good he looked doing it.

"Stop butting in on things I can take care of myself!" I pointed the still rolled up paper at him threateningly, "And if you talk to Skeeter about Harry again, you will get much worse than a paper to the back of the head!"

He seemed to be satisfied with his hair by this point, a smirk dropping easily onto his face as he crossed his arms and regarded me thoughtfully, "You know, you're quite sexy when you get fired up like this."

I immediately raised the paper to hit him again, but he was too fast this time and yanked it away from me before I could land.

"I dare you to try that again," he glared, and I couldn't help the giggle that fell past my lips. He shook his head at me, but I could see he was trying not to smirk as well. I was a little surprised he was letting this interaction happen at all without mentioning the fact I'd all but ignored him since my birthday.

"Cass?"

I silently cursed when I heard Harry's wary voice from behind us, turning to see him and Cedric Diggory just exiting the Great Hall.

"Hey," I said, eyeing Malfoy warily from the corner of my eye when he immediately sent a scowl Harry's way, "Hiya Cedric," I smiled at the other Hogwarts champion, who returned it easily.

"Hey Cassie, Malfoy," he had an amused look in his eyes as he looked between us, like he knew exactly what was going on.

"Diggory, good luck tonight." Malfoy replied smoothly, "I hope the _real_ Hogwarts champion takes it out."

Cedric only smiled graciously, but Harry's face immediately turned sour as he glared at the blonde.

"We should get going," I stepped in before the two of them decided to go at it, Malfoy rolling his eyes a little in irritation. "We do have an exam in about five minutes, are you coming?" I asked Harry, but he shook his head. He had been taking the time we did our last few exams to sit in the back of the room and study up on his spells for tonight.

"Apparently our families are here," he gestured between him and Cedric, before nodding at the little room adjacent to the Great Hall - and I followed his gaze with a disappointed frown. I knew there was a high chance my father would be in there with Harry's, and I had a day full of bloody exams.

"You can find us in between?" Harry must have seen my expression, but before I could respond the door swung open and James stuck his head out.

"Oi! What are you doing? We've been waiting in here for like 10 years! Cedric, your dad is getting antsy."

Harry and I both rolled our eyes, but Cedric only chuckled and gave me and Malfoy one more smile before he brushed past James into the room.

"Cassie," James beamed when he spotted me, merely raising an eyebrow when he noticed Malfoy was still hovering nearby, "Are you coming too?"

"Unfortunately, some of us still have exams," I said back with a dramatic sigh.

"Padfoot - are you really sure she's yours? She cares about exams!" James called back into the room, and I groaned as my dad now appeared in the doorframe - looking even more surprised than James at the presence of the blonde.

Malfoy was growing impatient now, letting out a scoff and only raising an eyebrow when I shot him a glare. He didn't have to still be here if he didn't want to be.

"I'm 90% sure."

I shot my father an annoyed look, and he simply winked in return before he and James told Harry to hurry up again.

"Alright, I'm coming," Harry sighed, looking between me and Malfoy suspiciously before he made any move to leave, "What were you doing anyway?"

"I was being assaulted," Malfoy commented drily before I could respond, obviously over the whole situation now. He ignored the warning glare I shot him and sneered at Harry, "I really do hope nothing terrible happens to you tonight, Potter."

"Okay!" I gave him a shove so he would start walking when I saw Harry's eyes narrow dangerously, ignoring the affronted look he gave me for doing so. "Let's go, before I really do assault you."

"Find us at lunch!" I heard my dad call after us, and I waved my hand over my shoulder in agreement - very keen on getting out of there as soon as possible.

The two of us didn't speak until just before we rounded the corner to the History of Magic classroom, when I turned to him with a small frown - not able to avoid the subject any longer.

"I know you're probably annoyed with me."

He seemed surprised, his eyes flicking to me momentarily before he resumed staring straight ahead. "I'm not annoyed with you, Black."

Now I was the one who was a little shocked. I had kissed him, then run off, and then avoided talking about it for days. If someone did that to me - I would be annoyed.

"You aren't?"

He simply shook his head, and I frowned.

"Why not?"

His smirk returned to his face as we reached the door, turning to stand in front of me, "Because, you can't have kissed me like you did and still be in denial about your feelings."

My eyes widened, but I didn't bother to try and argue. He was right.

He seemed satisfied by my silence, "And, as I constantly remind you, I know you. I know you hate being pushed to talk about things before you're ready, so I'll wait until you are."

I opened my mouth and closed it again, not being able to find any words. Never in any universe did I think he would be this understanding about it all, he just kept finding more ways to surprise me.

"And until then?" I ask eventually. This was where it had all gone wrong last time, and I was slightly startled to realise I didn't want to make the same mistakes again. I don't think I could handle having him go back to hating me.

He gave me one more look as he walked into the classroom, "The truce still stands."

I watched him for a moment, once again left reeling from a conversation with him. I let out a deep breath, willing myself to shake it off as I headed into the exam after him.

I just had to get through today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: AHHHH FINALLY! I hope it lived up to all your expectations and I'm so thrilled to finally give you all this chapter :') TWO. MORE. LEFT


	16. The Third Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: We're on the home stretch y'all. This one is a little shorter than usual but it was just too long if I left it altogether and I couldn't find anywhere else to split it that made sense.
> 
> Honestly, it may be for the best it was shorter after you read it. Easier to cope...

As expected, a feast was being thrown for dinner before the start of the task. My last few exams had been easy enough, but I did end up spending the entire lunch hour helping Daphne with last minute Potions revision - so I still hadn't managed to see my dad or Fred all day.

Even now I was rushing to get to the feast with Blaise, the two of us had gotten caught on the staircases on our way back from the Divination exam. As we raced down the halls, I tried to push away the strange nagging feeling that had been sitting in my stomach for most of the day. At first I thought it was because of my exams, or everything that was going on with Fred and Malfoy - but now I was starting to wonder if it was how nervous I was for Harry.

"I hate those bloody staircases," Blaise grumbled, the two of us slightly out of breath as we finally came into the Great Hall.

"I swear they're out to get me," I agreed, "That's the third time it's happened to me this year." I craned my neck, looking around the hall for any sign of familiar red hair.

"Have you spoken to Weasley yet?" Blaise asked knowingly, and I let out an irritated sigh.

"I haven't been able to bloody find him!"

"It'll be fine, CB," he said gently, knowing me well enough to see how much this whole thing was hurting me.

"I hope so," I sighed.

"Come on, I'm about to pass out from starvation." Blaise practically pulled me into a headlock, and I couldn't help but laugh as he dragged me over to the Slytherin table.

"What took you two so long?" Theodore asked as we sat down.

"Fucking staircases," Blaise muttered angrily again, the two of us examining the food laid across the table.

"Isn't that like your third time this year?" Tracey asked me, and I shot Blaise a triumphant smirk. He only rolled his eyes, apparently much more concerned with filling his empty stomach. I piled a few things onto my plate, but as I started to eat I found I was so nervous I could barely think about eating at all.

"You look more stressed than Potter does," Daphne commented, looking at me in slight concern.

"I have a bad feeling," I sighed, abandoning any hope of eating and leaning my chin on my hands.

"Not again," Blaise groaned, "I think we need to get your head checked out."

I elbowed him in the ribs as most of my friends chuckled at his dig, before turning to look at the Gryffindor table and seeing Harry looking about as interested in dinner as I was. There could be absolutely anything waiting for him in this maze, maybe some things that nothing could prepare him for, and it was true - I was terrified for him.

Madi - who was sitting across from me - suddenly kicked me under the table and nodded her head towards the entrance, and I turned to see George just walking into the hall, strangely without my boyfriend at his side.

I jumped up without a word, racing over and grabbing his arm before he got too far.

"CB!" George greeted me brightly, "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"I know," I agreed with a sigh, "Where's Fred?"

"Oh, he said he'd meet me here - I figured he was looking for you."

I frowned slightly, surely he would know that I would have been in here.

Before I could question George any further, Dumbledore rose to his feet - the silence immediately falling over the hall.

"In five minutes time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch Pitch for the third and last task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the stadium now."

My eyes widened, and George gave me one more smile as he headed over to the Gryffindor table - probably to try and scarf down some food before the task. He passed a pale looking Harry on the way over, giving him a firm clap on the back. Practically the entire Gryffindor table was cheering for him, the Hufflepuffs and all the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons doing the same for their champions - making the volume in the hall rise again rapidly.

Harry paused when he saw me by the door, and I pulled him into a tight hug without hesitation.

"You're going to be fine," I said into his shoulder determinedly. I wasn't even sure who I was trying to convince, me or him.

He nodded as we pulled away, "I'll see you after, okay?"

I gave his shoulder a little punch, "Go win it, Potter."

He gave me a tight smile before walking out of the Great Hall after the other champions.

"Hey," Madi appeared over my shoulder once he was gone, "Are you sitting with the others?"

I glanced over at the Gryffindors, noting that my boyfriend still hadn't shown up and frowned as I turned back to Madi.

"No, I may as well sit with you guys."

Madi nodded, looking happy with that particular decision. By that point everyone had started heading down towards the Quidditch Pitch. My friends were all speculating excitedly about what was to come as we walked, but I stayed silent trying to calm some of the dreadful feelings I still had. Madi linked her arm with mine as we walked, giving my arm a gentle squeeze in comfort - and I smiled at her gratefully for the gesture.

We made it to the stands and headed for some rows towards the top, wanting to be able to see into the maze as much as possible. Theodore and Blaise slid into the row first, and I sat next to Madi as she settled next to her boyfriend, the rest of the girls deciding to sit in front of us so we were in sort of a cluster. I shot Malfoy a withering look as he took the seat next to me, but he didn't seem fazed - merely smirking at me in response.

"So, the first time we get to watch them battle dragons," Theodore stated. "Then they make us stare at a lake for an hour, and now we get to stare at some bushes?"

I let out a giggle at his dry tone, the rest of us all making noises of agreement. I finally examined the hedges in front of us, they were at least twenty feet high - and all you could see throughout the maze was miles and miles of darkness. It was terrifying.

"We should have bought a game or something with us," Lillian grumbled, "That maze is massive, who knows how long this bloody thing will take?"

"I'm sure some younger year brats have a set of cards around here somewhere," Blaise mused, craning his neck to look at Crabbe and Goyle behind Malfoy - gesturing for them to go and do what they do best, make first years cry.

"You probably just made their night much more enjoyable," Malfoy smirked at Blaise as they watched the two of them start prowling along the stands - both looking far too pleased with the task.

The noise and excitement was building now, music and cheers starting as all the Champions congregated outside the maze. I let out a nervous breath as I craned my neck to see Harry, it was late enough now that the sky was dark and the first stars of the night were starting to appear. I saw McGonagall, Moody, Flitwick and Hagrid all approach the champions - all four of them were marked with some sort of red star, and I assumed they would be the ones standing by for any emergencies. I could only just see Harry from where we were, and I slumped back down when I realised no amount of stretching my neck would make me grow tall enough to see him any better.

Crabbe and Goyle returned behind us with a loud ' _thunk_ ', tossing a deck of Wizard Snap at Blaise - who caught it with a wicked grin.

"Don't say I never did anything for you, Moon," he kneed Lillian in the back gently, and she rolled her eyes but snatched the cards out of his hands anyway - starting to shuffle the deck and counting out how many hands to deal.

"Don't count me," I snapped when her eyes drifted past me, "I actually care what's going to be happening."

"Come on," Tracey scoffed, "Are you really just going to send yourself into a spiral by staring at a hedge for hours?"

"It'll be a good distraction," Daphne turned as well, smiling at me encouragingly.

"You know we're right," Tracey sing-songed, I rolled my eyes in irritation but nodded begrudgingly. They were, it would be better than spending the entire time worrying Harry was getting himself hurt.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

We all paused, the stands falling silent as Bagman's voice echoed around us. "The third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand. Tied in first place, on eighty-five points each - Mr Cedric Diggory and Mr Harry Potter of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause were so loud it sent birds fluttering into the air from the Forbidden Forest. "In second place, on eighty points - Mr Viktor Krum of Durmstrang!" There were more cheers, though considerably less than before. "And in third place - Miss Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons Academy!" I was barely listening at this point, my eyes trained on Harry as he talked with James.

"Mr Diggory and Mr Potter will enter first, followed by Mr Krum - and finally Miss Delacour."

"You couldn't pay me to go into that maze," Blaise commented, and I shot him a withering look to let him know those kinds of comments were not helpful.

"On my whistle…" the cheers were practically deafening now, even more so after the shrill whistle sounded, and Harry and Cedric disappeared into the bushes. I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding, praying that whatever was waiting for him in there - Harry would be okay.

I kept my eyes trained on James as he ventured back up the stands, trying to see if I could spot where my dad and the others were. I vaguely heard the whistle go the other two times and Lillian counting out cards as James finally came to a stop - they were right on the other side of the stand, only a few rows higher than us. Before I could think of any way to try and catch the attention of my dad, Madi elbowed me harshly in the ribs.

"Ow!" I turned to glare at her, but she was already nodding her head at something near the bottom of the stand with wide eyes. I followed her gaze, and saw that Fred was waiting a few rows up - his eyes trained on me, and Malfoy sitting next to me.

I let out a groan - perfect. Of course he would choose right now to finally show up. I stood without another word, racing down the stairs as quickly as I could without being worried I'd trip.

"Wait - where are you going? I just dealt out all the hands!"

"Shut up, Moon!" I heard both Blaise and Madi snap.

"I've been looking for you all day," I said to Fred when I reached him.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" was all he said in reply, his eyes drifting back over to where I'd been sitting and then to me again.

I frowned, searching his face for any idea of what the hell was going on, but his expression was completely guarded. "Right now? Can't it wait until after the task at least?" I wasn't super keen on leaving while Harry was still in that maze, glancing worriedly over his shoulder at the bushes looming behind him.

"Not really," he fidgeted, "I think we need to talk about it now."

Something about the way he said it made me nod slowly in agreement, and he turned and started back down the stands without another word - me racing to keep up with him. My heart was already starting to beat harder in my chest as we went, the only thing I could possibly think that would make him this upset is knowing what had happened with Malfoy - but there was no chance that he knew, he couldn't know. He deserved to hear it from me first, he _needed_ to hear it from me first.

Fred finally stopped when we hit the ground again on the left side of the stand, sheltered from view but still close enough to be able to hear what was going on. He didn't say anything at first - just standing a little away from me and staring into the distance like he was trying to figure out exactly what to say.

"You're starting to scare me," I said timidly, a little afraid myself of what was coming.

He finally looked over at me, crossing his arms. "I need to ask you a question, and I need you to tell me the truth."

Oh no. "Okay," I breathed.

"Did your dad really buy you that necklace?"

I sucked in a breath; it wasn't what I was expecting - but it wasn't any better of a scenario by far. I looked back at him for a moment, already feeling the tears pricking at my eyes. I could lie again, but what would be the point? I had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"No," I finally choked out, and he closed his eyes - letting out a long, shaky breath.

"Fred, I'm so-"

"Don't," he cut me off, "I...damn it... I think I already knew. I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

I found I had no idea what to say to him, seeing him like this again - so hurt because of me, it made me feel just as awful as the last time. Maybe even more so this time because it really was all my fault. My mind started to race with how he could have finally put the pieces together. Had he seen my dad today and it had come up? Had it all clicked in his head finally or-

I sucked in a breath, clenching my fists at my sides for a moment and letting out a long breath to calm myself down a little.

"Avery told you, didn't she? That's where you were when George came to the feast without you."

He held my gaze, his eyes just as guarded as they had been since I'd first seen him tonight. "She approached me, and at first I just told her to bugger right off - I had no interest in anything she had to say."

My heart sank more, of course he didn't. He would never trust her; he knows how much she loathes me.

"But then she mentioned...she mentioned him." I winced at the iciness of his tone when Malfoy was finally brought up. "And dammit…" he let out another sigh, "I just couldn't help myself, I had to know if it could even possibly be true because for some reason, when it comes to him...I feel like you've never been 100% honest with me."

I looked away, trying to will myself not to cry. I shouldn't get to be the one here who's upset, I don't get that right.

Fred was watching me closely, like he was learning everything he needed to know just from my reactions. "Are you going to be honest about it with me now? For once?"

I winced at the last part, but I'd deserved it. Merlin knows I deserved it. "It's true, it was him." I practically whispered, afraid to let myself say it any louder.

I may as well have just punched him in the gut, the look on his face absolutely devastated me. "So, this whole time…you lied to me about it?"

"I knew you wouldn't like it!" I said desperately, "And I know it was wrong, and I probably never should have kept it in the first place, but I never meant to hurt you! I was just trying to protect you."

"No," he shook his head slowly, voice low. "You did this for you, because you did keep it, Cassie. Doesn't that say enough? You wanted to avoid me knowing that there was something going on between the two of you."

"That isn't true," I shook my head adamantly, it couldn't be.

"But it is," he argued, his frustration starting to show, "I could see it, I saw it all the way back at the ball – bloody hell I saw it when we came back from Easter break and it felt like you were a thousand miles away from me!"

I wasn't naïve, I knew this conversation was never going to be easy. But selfishly, some part of me had hoped I would be able to get through it without bringing up everything else that had gone wrong through the year. I didn't know if I could be as strong if we did.

"I told you I didn't want to know if something happened with you two over break," he continued, voice steady. "I was so scared of losing you I convinced myself whatever you might feel for him didn't matter, but I was wrong. I was an idiot."

My eyes widened, and I moved a little closer to him. "No, Fred do not do that, none of this is your fault – this is all on me." I needed him to understand he hadn't done anything wrong, all he had ever done was right by me.

"You were going to break up with me then, weren't you?"

I nodded, "And then you asked me not to…and I just couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to hurt you, I care about you way too much to ever intentionally hurt you."

"But you don't love me, do you?" his voice cracked, and my heart broke just a little.

"Of course I do," I finally admitted quietly, looking him right in the eye. "But not the way you love me - not the way you deserve."

He moved away from me, letting out a shaky breath and putting his head in his hands for a moment. I felt frozen, it was killing me that I had done this to him.

"Did anything happen?" he turned back to me, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Between the two of you?"

I looked up to the sky for a moment, willing the still persistent tears away before looking at him again, my eyes shining with regret. "I kissed him on my birthday."

He stepped back like I'd shot him, and I moved closer on instinct, "I'm sorry. I was so confused; I've been so confused this whole year and it just happened. All I've wanted since is to tell you, but I just never got the chance."

"You were confused," he echoed quietly, nodding slowly – his eyes suddenly a little colder when he looked at me. "And let me guess, now you aren't so much?"

My heart sank with regret, and I could only nod wordlessly in response.

"Well," he managed to get out, "At least you were honest this time."

I flinched, but he didn't look like he was sorry. I didn't want him to be, I deserved far worse than he was giving me.

"I am, I swear that's the only time something happened."

He scoffed, shaking his head, "That might be the only time something like that happened – but can you look me in the eye and honestly tell me you didn't have any other moments with him that weren't completely innocent?"

I thought back to the slow progression of moments I'd had with Malfoy throughout the year and realised with a horrible pang in my chest that he was right. It wasn't just about the kiss – I'd been betraying him way before that.

"I'm sorry," I said hoarsely, "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I know," he said bluntly, "But here we are."

"And where are we?" I questioned, swallowing my tears down.

He held my gaze for a long time, and I knew there were so many things that he wished he could say – maybe a part of him that wondered if he could forgive me would it work out. But I could see he knew that wasn't a possibility – not just because of what I'd done, but because he knew it wasn't what I wanted anymore.

"I think I'm done."

"I know," the first tears trickled down my face. He watched me for another long moment, moving a little as if to brush my tears away – but then hesitated, stopping himself.

I didn't stop him when he turned and slowly walked away. There was nothing else for us to say, there was nothing else I could do to stop him from getting hurt anymore. The one thing I had been trying to do this entire time – and in the end I was the one who'd hurt him the most.

I stood in the same spot for a long time. Surprisingly, the tears never fell. I just felt numb, like a part of me had been ripped away. I had thought once I knew my feelings were Malfoy were real it would all get easier, but I was wrong. Because even if it wasn't the same, I had cared about Fred too – and this whole year when he had been nothing but good to me, nothing but the perfect boyfriend, I had been slowly breaking his heart without even realising it. Now I had no idea if he would ever forgive me, if we could ever get back to how it was before. My one fear of ever going down this path with him was now a reality, I had lost him for good. And I only had myself to blame.

I started slightly when I suddenly heard the crowd in the stands erupt into cheers, coming back to my senses and remembering the Task – and Harry. I moved quickly back around the stands, peering out into the space in front of the maze to see what had happened. Had someone made it back, was it over?

I saw the body at the same time the first people in the crowd did, the first horrified screams filling the air as I stood frozen on the spot.

Harry was lying on the ground, battered and bloody – leaning over the body of Cedric Diggory.

Dumbledore and the Minister were already there, and people were starting to push through the crowd – the Professors calling for everyone to be escorted back to the castle. I didn't pay any attention to any of it, I moved as fast as my legs could carry me towards Harry. Something was wrong, I could feel it – I needed to know Harry was okay. _He's alive. It's okay, he's not the one who's dead. Cedric's dead…_

A hand on my arm suddenly roughly stopped me in my tracks, and I turned with angry eyes to glare at my Potions professor – who was glaring back at me darkly.

"Don't even think about it."

"I need to get to Harry," I said back automatically, "You have to let me get to Harry."

Snape didn't respond – his cold eyes moving past my head and nodding at someone stiffly before releasing my arm. But, before I could even think about moving I was pulled into someone's chest, and I let out a breath when I inhaled the familiar scent of my father.

"Where the hell were you?" he growled, holding me tighter than ever before. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was?"

He pulled back, searching my face for an answer – but I was barely listening to him. I could hear how worried he was, and I was sorry - but reassuring him I was fine would have to wait, all that mattered was Harry.

"I need to get to Harry, what's happened?" I could feel it, I had felt it all day. The feeling still wouldn't go away, something truly terrible had happened. Why was no one telling me what happened?

"Harry's fine," my dad said gently, making no indication of answering my question. "You need to stay here, with me."

"No," I shook my head, trying to look past him and catch a glimpse of Harry – but I realised with horror that he wasn't there anymore. "Where is he?"

My dad was immediately alarmed – whirling around while making sure to keep one hand gripped on my arm to keep me in place – searching with wide eyes before seeking out James.

"Prongs!"

James looked stricken as he turned from the quiet conversation he was having with Dumbledore and the Minister, his face as ghostly as Nearly Headless Nick's.

"Where's Harry?"

Every adult in the vicinity whirled around in horror at my father's words, turning back and forth when they also noticed Harry was nowhere to be seen. It would have been almost comical if the situation weren't so dire.

I scanned the area, my mind racing as I did a headcount of everyone. They were all accounted for, everyone was here except for Harry and…

"No!" I gasped out, my whole body went cold, and I met my father's concerned gaze with wide eyes, "It's Moody – he's with Moody, it's been Moody this whole time!"

The adults all realised he was in fact missing, but no one seemed to fully understand why I was so horrified. My mind was spinning, I had felt it all year, I had known there was something not right about him, but I couldn't figure out what it was. There were so many little pieces that I had missed – things I had overlooked or brushed past, and I turned to look at my Head of House meaningfully.

"Boomslang skin and lacewing flies," I said, and he raised an eyebrow, probably wondering why on earth I was bringing this up right now. "You thought Harry stole them, but he didn't – those are two ingredients for-"

I didn't finish, I didn't have to as my professor's eyes widened in recognition, "-Polyjuice potion."

Moody had been there on the night Harry's name came from the Goblet, he'd helped him through every task, through any problem he'd had this year – he stole my map because he was worried someone would see something they shouldn't.

I could see Dumbledore, Snape, James and my father all working out at the same time I did. It had never really been Moody at all.

"How can you be so certain, Miss Black?" it was McGonagall who asked, but Dumbledore was already gazing at me in a way that let me know I was right.

"She is right, Minerva. Alastor Moody would never remove Harry from my sight in a situation like this."

"We need to go," James growled, already turning away, "NOW!"

I made to move as well, but my father's firm grip stopped me once again – the warning clear in his eyes.

"I want to help!" I protested in frustration.

"I need you safe," he responded firmly, before his eyes softened a little and shone a little with pride despite the situation, "You've done enough – you figured it out kid."

I shook my head again in protest, I wouldn't be okay until I knew Harry was safe. I was starting to become aware of my surroundings again, seeing the mad rush of students still trying to flee from the arena and the remainder of the teachers trying to control the panic that had rightly broken out.

"CASS!"

We both turned to see that somehow, Blaise and Madi had fought their way through the crowd and were racing towards us.

"Perfect," my dad said, giving Blaise the sternest look I'd ever seen as the two of them skidded to a stop in front of us, "She doesn't go anywhere, you understand me?"

Blaise didn't even hesitate to nod seriously in response, pulling me towards him the same second my father released his grip on my arm. He gave me one more meaningful look before he raced off after the rest of them, and I squirmed against Blaise as I watched him go.

"Hey!" Blaise snapped, "He's right Cass, you need to stay here!"

"Cassie," Madi said gently as well, and I finally gave in. There was no point, I would never know where to find them now anyway.

"What happened?" I asked, looking between the two of them – my chest still rising and falling rapidly.

"They came back with the cup…" Madi said in quiet disbelief, "And Diggory was just…"

"What happened with you?" Blaise asked, interrupting and scanning me like he was checking for any kind of injury, "With Weasley?"

The events of the rest of the night came back to me full force, I had almost forgotten where I'd been just before everything blew up.

"We broke up," I said quietly, and they both immediately turned sympathetic – but I shook my head. "That doesn't even matter right now – all that matters to me is Harry and what the hell happened to him."

The two of them exchanged a weighted look – a look I had seen many times and that I knew well. It was when they knew something I needed to know but didn't know if they should tell me.

"What?" I said dangerously, looking between them.

"Potter," Blaise admitted quietly, "When he came back…he said something."

"What did he say?" I demanded, wondering what in Godrics hell could be so bad they were so hesitant to tell me.

"He said he's back," Madi finished, her voice barely a whisper, "That You-Know-Who is back."

I staggered a little, falling into Blaise who held me up easily. Suddenly the look on James' face made sense, and why my dad had been so panicked when he couldn't find me. I looked back at my two best friends with wide eyes, their expressions just as grim as mine.

Voldemort was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: ONE. MORE. CHAPTER!


	17. The Beginning of The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow...this is it. The last chapter of GoF. I want to thank everyone who has supported me in this, it truly has become like a child to me and I couldn't be happier with it - I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. It took me so long to be brave enough to share this story, and getting the reactions I have has meant everything.
> 
> Oh, and don't worry - OotP is coming ;)
> 
> Without further ado - the final chapter!

I sat curled up at the end of Harry's bed in the Hospital Wing. As soon as he had been found with Moody – no _Crouch_ – and brought back here I had refused to leave his side. We hadn't spoken much; he had already re-lived his night once when he told Dumbledore and I had no urge to make him do it again. From what I'd heard, Crouch had been the one behind it all year, the whole purpose was to get Harry into that maze so he could win and be taken right to Voldemort. I was counting my lucky stars that he was lying in this hospital bed right now, but I knew that this was only the beginning. He was really back, and now everything was going to change.

I turned when I heard soft footsteps, offering my father a small smile as he came to stand next to the bed – frowning down at Harry in concern.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, his gaze moving over to me, "I didn't mean to scare you earlier."

He shook his head, sitting slowly in the seat next to Harry's head that James had spent most of the night occupying. They had only left to go and speak to Dumbledore not long ago.

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen… none of us did."

I immediately frowned, the anger at myself building. "I knew there was something off about him, all year I could feel it. I should have done more."

My dad leaned forward, "No, kid. This wasn't on you, he fooled everyone – including Dumbledore."

"I should have done more," I repeated, resuming staring at Harry – too scared to look away in case he disappeared. The horror of the situation was that there was a chance he may not have made it back to us tonight, and that someone didn't. A boy was still dead, and I couldn't help but put some of the blame on myself.

"You were brilliant tonight, Cassie." I tore my gaze from Harry to meet my father's eyes, they were blazing meaningfully, he wanted me to know this wasn't my fault. "We found him earlier because of you, who knows what might have happened if you hadn't put it together about the Polyjuice?"

I let out a sigh, resuming my watch over Harry and tucking my knees up to my chest. We stayed silent for a long time, my dad switching between watching me and then watching Harry. It felt like my whole world had been turned upside down in one night, suddenly all the things I had been worried about before didn't matter. I wasn't naïve, I knew my life would never be the same again now. Not to mention the danger Harry was in, and I wouldn't make the same mistakes as this year – I have to do everything I can to protect him.

I barely acknowledged James and Remus when they returned, the two of them joining us in our uneasy silence. I don't think any of us were ready to talk about this yet.

"You know," I almost jumped out of my skin when Harry suddenly spoke, "It's kind of hard to sleep with all of you staring at me."

"How do you feel?" James asked automatically, leaning forward in concern as Harry groggily opened his eyes.

"Brilliant."

"Don't be a smartarse right now," I said sharply.

He turned his head to look at me, "You're still here."

I frowned, "Where the bloody hell else would I be?" My worry eased just a little bit when that brought the smallest of smiles to his face.

"I get it now," he mumbled then, glancing between the three Marauders. "Why you were so worried about Gorgia giving her crap all year…"

I crinkled my nose in confusion, looking between them as well and growing more concerned when I saw them all visibly tense. "Am I missing something?"

Harry let out a sigh, his head falling back on the pillow and closing his eyes again. "Her dad was there tonight, one of his followers."

My mouth fell open slightly, and I looked at my father accusingly – who suddenly looked paler than he had before.

"You should have told me."

"We didn't want to worry you," he said apologetically, "We thought there would be no reason for you to need to know." Snape's worry about the situation suddenly became much clearer to me too, he would know her father just as well – if not more so than my dad did.

I nodded, my mind already moving onto the next more horrifying thought. Exactly how many of my housemate's parents were in that graveyard tonight?

When I looked at Harry again he was already watching me carefully. "I can tell you who else if that's what you want," he said quietly, studying my reaction cautiously.

"No," I said automatically, shaking my head adamantly, "I really…I can't know. Not now, not yet."

I could feel my father's worried eyes on me, but I kept my gaze down. I couldn't handle this conversation tonight, maybe not ever. I knew that just because their parents may have been there tonight, that didn't mean any of them felt the same way – but I also wasn't stupid enough to ignore the high chance that they did either.

"Okay," was all Harry said, already looking like he was drifting back to sleep. Madam Pomfrey had said she'd given him quite a high dose of Calming Draught along with his dreamless sleep potion, and for good reasons. I don't think he would get any rest without it.

"Dad?" he surprised us when he spoke again.

"Yeah, Harry?" James said softly, still looking like he was doing everything he could to hold it together – how he'd looked ever since Harry returned earlier tonight.

"I saw Mum…"

I moved up the bed before he could say another word, fitting myself in next to him and resting my head on his shoulder. His head rested on top of mine instantly, this kind of closeness not a rarity for us.

James looked like he went a little into shock, blinking a few times and opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish – unsure of how to respond.

"Dumbledore told us," Remus, ever the calming voice, spoke softly when James still couldn't find the words, " _Priori Incantatem_."

"Yeah…that…." Harry mumbled, his eyes fluttering open and closed, fighting to get the words out before he succumbed to sleep.

"What is it?" I asked, adjusting slightly so I could lay more on my side and wrapping one of my arms around my god-brother.

"It happens when two wands that share the same core meet," James finally said, and my eyes widened in shock.

"His and Voldemort's wand share a core?"

James nodded solemnly, all three of them looking grim.

"It forces a reverse," Remus continued to explain quietly to me, "Of the last spells performed, the most recent…and then those that preceded it."

I didn't say anything, just moved even closer to Harry to try and offer some sort of comfort. The last spells Voldemort's wand performed would have been killing Cedric…and then his mother.

"A sort of echo of the victims appears," Remus spared a concerned glance at James, who was leaning his head on his hands and looking like he was only half listening. No more needed to be said, I understood. Just like me, some version of Harry's mother had appeared to him when he'd needed it most. I felt a stab of regret for not telling him when it had happened to me and spared a glance at my father, who looked just as affected by this conversation as James.

I would tell him about the incident in the lake, I decided. Just not tonight. We had all been through enough already.

I could tell by his steady breathing that Harry was asleep again, and I loosened my arm a little but made no shift to move away from him.

"You really should go try and get some sleep," my dad said gently, but I shook my head.

"I'm not leaving him. I'll be fine, I already wasn't there when he needed me tonight." The guilt of not staying at the task had been gnawing at me since I'd began to process all the events of the night. Before all of this, my biggest concern had been my stupid confused heart – I was furious at myself for being so selfish.

"Where did you go, anyway?" I had been waiting for the question all night, letting out a sigh. There was no point in avoiding the subject, it was bound to come up eventually.

"Fred and I broke up."

My dad's eyebrows raised in surprise, and James and Remus looked a little taken aback by the news as well.

"Yeah," I said flatly, managing a half-amused smirk, "It's been a hell of a night."

"Are you okay?" my dad placed a concerned hand on my arm, and I turned to smile at him as reassuringly as I could.

"I am. It was for the best." Now didn't really feel like the right time to bring up all the details.

He nodded, seemingly knowing he wasn't getting the full story but letting it go for now. I let my thoughts drift back to Crouch as we fell silent again, my anger heating up just thinking of his name.

"What's going to happen to Crouch?" I asked, needing something to quell my anger.

"Azkaban I presume," my dad said coldly, "The Dementors will take care of him."

"Like he deserves," James muttered angrily, even Remus nodding in agreement – his eyes cold.

"Just know he'll be paying for his crimes."

I turned slowly to look him dead in the eye, "Like Travers?"

The shock was immediate, my father's eyes widening as he fell back into his seat.

"How?" he finally managed to get out, the surprise and sorrow echoing in his features.

"Harry and I took a little trip in Dumbledore's Pensieve," I shrugged, narrowing my eyes a little in accusation, "So, you did know it was him then?"

James let out a snort, eyes glinting a little in amusement in spite of the situation. "Oh, he knew. We were the ones that stopped him from killing the man himself."

My father's face darkened, "I wouldn't have regretted it either."

I must have looked a little shocked because he immediately softened his gaze again and looked at me meaningfully. "But they were right to stop me, you can't take it back – killing someone. No matter who it is…"

I looked back up at Harry's sleeping face, a deep frown on my face. He seemed to think it was enough for someone to rot away in Azkaban, could I think like that too?

"I'm sorry you found out that way, kid." I smiled at my dad; I didn't have any anger at him for not telling me.

"It's fine, really. I'm not mad, it was just a lot to process at first."

He nodded in understanding, leaning forward enough to press a gentle kiss to the top of my head. The gesture sent a feeling of immediate comfort through me, and I snuggled a little closer to Harry – my exhaustion finally catching up to me too as I felt my eyes drift closed.

* * *

I woke up the next morning in my dorm, scowling and reminding myself to tell my dad off for taking me away from Harry. It must have been late because none of the other girls were left in the room. In fact, I don't even know what was going on today – surely there wouldn't be any classes.

I changed into fresh clothes as I pondered, before immediately setting back towards the Hospital Wing. Honestly did they really think they were going to keep me away?

I quickened my pace when I heard raised voices echoing down the hall from the wing, recognising Fudge's as one of them. Whatever had the Minister yelling like this was bound to be a disaster. I rounded the corner and had to clasp a hand over my mouth to stop from gasping too loud and drawing attention to myself.

Snape was standing in front of the Minister for Magic with his left forearm bared – the Dark Mark swirling ominously across it. I scanned the rest of the room – my father and James both looked livid, standing with fists clenched at their sides as all their worst fears were confirmed. Harry was sitting in his hospital bed – glaring at the Minister with so much vigor even I was almost scared.

The tense silence seemed to stretch for years to me, but in reality Fudge stepped back in only moments – looking around the room in disgust.

"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at Dumbledore, but I have heard enough." he whispered in anger, "I will be in touch with you tomorrow to discuss the running of this school."

He strode to the door without another word, barely paying me a glance as he bustled away. I watched him go, the threat of his last statement hanging in the air.

"Unbelievable," James was growling, my attention brought back to the situation at hand. "You know, she defended you right until the last second? And this whole time, you really were one of them."

"James," Dumbledore tried to interject calmly, but it was my dad who spoke this time.

"And to think, I've been letting you near my daughter this whole time."

A sudden need to defend my Professor jumped out of me, and I finally raced into the room as the three adults all made to move closer to each other.

"Wait!"

All three of them stopped, looking stunned to see me – my Potions professor even looking slightly surprised by my interjection before his glare returned to his features.

"Cassie," my dad said lowly, jaw still clenched. "This is bigger than you can understand."

"No, it isn't," I argued, "I think it's actually rather simple."

He scrutinised me for a moment, obviously confused as to why I wasn't more shocked by this revelation – but he worked it out quickly, shooting a withering glare the Headmaster's way.

"I would like to request you no longer let my daughter into your Pensieve, Dumbledore."

Dumbledore nodded, eyes twinkling in slight amusement – Snape realising at the same moment that I had already known his dark secret, and probably had for some time.

"He made the wrong choice, yes." I continued un-deterred, "But then he made the right one, and he is on our side."

James let out a loud noise of disbelief, my dad also not looking ready to back down – continuing to stare Snape down coldly over my head.

" _I trust him_ ," I snapped, finally pulling his full attention – shock and a little of what seemed like betrayal in his eyes as he stared open mouthed at me. "So does Professor Dumbledore," the Headmaster gave a nod of agreement, "Doesn't that make it simple enough for you?"

I could see the conflict running through him, and I knew it wasn't fair of me to do this to him – but I wasn't ready to give up on my professor just yet. My gut was telling me that I was right, and he had always taught me to follow my gut. He must have been thinking the same thing as he examined me, letting out a frustrated growl before finally nodding stiffly.

James looked affronted, "Padfoot!"

Remus let out a tired sigh from the corner, "Let it go, Prongs. Can't we all just move on and be grown-ups about this?"

"Stay out of this, Moony," James growled, Remus giving a fed-up eyeroll before slumping in the chair next to Harry's bed – who gave him a small comforting pat on the arm for his efforts.

Snape still hadn't said a word. His face still showed the cold indifference it always did as he watched the two Marauders wrestle with their emotions. I risked a glance at him, and he held my gaze for just a moment – and if I looked really closely I could almost see them flicker in gratitude. I hid my smile – knowing that probably wouldn't help the situation at hand.

"Cassandra is right," Dumbledore finally spoke, drawing the rooms attention with his firm tone. "Forgetting the past may be a lot to ask for, but we can at least wish for a lack of open hostility." The fierce glares still being shared between the three men did not show hope for this. "You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united – there is no hope for any of us."

I let myself smile a little this time as his words hit them, all of them relaxing just a little as they realised the Headmaster was correct.

"Fine," James finally said shortly, moving back towards Harry without another word. Snape only nodded stiffly as well, taking a few steps away and looking away like he would rather be anywhere else in the world right now. Dumbledore looked between them all with a ghost of a smile on his face, seemingly satisfied by this outcome for now – even shooting me a subtle wink, making me bite back a laugh.

I turned to face my father again, who was watching me with a sombre look on his face.

"What?" I fidgeted a little.

He broke into a full smile, "Your mum used to look for the best in everyone too."

I smiled in return at him, before looking away and letting it drop a little. For the first time since last night, Malfoy creeped his way back into my mind. I'd certainly started to see the best in him this year, but where the hell did the events of last night leave us now? I couldn't just go on pretending like everything was the same, there was a high if not definite chance we were going to be on opposite sides of whatever was to come.

An awkward cough drew me out of my thoughts, and I realised my father had drifted back towards James, Remus and Harry and my Potions professor was standing in front of me again now.

"That was unnecessary of you, Black. I don't need you to be vouching for me," his voice was as stoic as ever, but I wasn't fooled. This was as close I would get to a thank you from him.

I held his stare, my tone serious. "I just went out on a limb for you against my family, don't make me regret it."

Something flickered in his eyes, before he strode back towards Dumbledore without another word – resuming a hushed conversation with the Headmaster.

Harry was already watching me when I looked back in his direction, a thoughtful look in his eyes. I offered him a smile, taking a step towards him intent on not leaving his side the rest of the day.

"Cass."

I turned in surprise at Blaise's voice, seeing him standing in the doorway casually.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in confusion.

A smirk fell onto his face, and he made eye contact with who I realised in surprise was my father over my head, "I'm under strict instructions to not let you spend your whole day in this Hospital Wing."

I shot an un-amused glare to my dad, who winked at me in response and exchanged a nod with Blaise.

"I'll carry you out if I have to," Blaise continued when I made no move to leave, "And you know I'll do it."

I rolled my eyes, but I did know he would. I promised Harry I would check in later, but even he was waving me out as I followed my best friend out the big wooden doors. I tried not to dwell on the fact that my father had now entrusted my care to Blaise twice now, even though it brought a smile to my face.

"Come on," Blaise nodded out towards one of the courtyards, "Everyone's been waiting to see you, I thought Greengrass might pass out from worry at one point."

Knowing I could trust my best friend with anything, I gave him a skeptical look. "Are you really sure they want to see me?"

He understood, stopping and looking back at me meaningfully. "Yes. Don't think what you were thinking."

I still wasn't fully convinced, but I nodded in response – actually feeling a little more re-assured. I knew Blaise would always be the one to tell me the truth, even if it would hurt me. Just for a moment, I let myself hope that maybe all of my friends would end up on the right side of this. Even if I could only have it for a short time, maybe that hope would be strong enough to keep me going.

"Thank Merlin!" Daphne was the first to greet me, hugging me tightly.

"Daphne, I'm fine. I'm not the one in the hospital bed." She pulled away, looking only slightly apologetic as she still scanned me like she needed to check for injuries.

"How is Potter?" I was grateful to Theodore for asking, even if none of them particularly cared.

I let out a long sigh, not ready for us to open the door to the conversations that would come from answering his question.

"I really don't feel like talking about it."

In true Slytherin style, the subject changed as if it had never been brought up at all. Lillian immediately told me off for leaving after she'd dealt me into Wizard Snap – earning herself a harsh warning from Daphne not to be insensitive, and soon enough we were all laughing like it was just another day. And as I smiled softly at my friends, I think that was exactly what I needed right now.

"Oh!" Tracey seemingly remembered, shooting me a sympathetic look. "Zabini told us about Weasley, are you okay?"

I ignored the grey eyes I could feel on me and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You'll bounce back soon enough; you can do far better in my opinion." Lillian - always the believer in leaving the past in the past - waved her hand like she was dismissing an annoying first year.

"Seriously, Moon." Madi said drily as the rest of the girls looked at her incredulously, "You have got to learn some tact."

The affronted look on Lillian's face sent us all into laughter, and I exchanged a smile with Blaise, who mouthed an 'I told you so' in response. I rolled my eyes, biting back my smile – not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right.

As the inevitable argument started up between Lillian and Madi – I could no longer ignore it and my eyes were drawn to Malfoy's like magnets, and the weighted look shared between us reminded me we both knew there was still so much we needed to talk about.

I just wasn't sure he would be so ready to hear what I had to say anymore.

* * *

I think everyone knew the usual joyful end of year feast would not be so light this year. The usually brightly decorated Great Hall that would be coloured for the winners of the House Cup had only black hangings, in honour of Cedric.

Conversations were quieter, no loud yelling or cheerful laughter like every other year as we all prepared to say our goodbyes for the year. There was a heaviness hanging in the air, the tragedy of the loss that had occurred and the fear of what we were facing now. What little conversation had been happening around us was completely silenced as Dumbledore slowly stood at the head table, and I sought Harry out across the room – seeing him with his head hung, refusing to look up in case he caught anyone's eye.

"There is much I would like to say to all of you tonight," Dumbledore began solemnly, "But I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here with us. I would like you all, please, to raise a glass to Cedric Diggory." Every Goblet in the Great Hall rose into the air, a low chorus of 'Cedric Diggory' echoing back to the Headmaster.

"Cedric was, as you all know, an exceptionally hard-working member of our school. A loyal friend, he valued fair play and always took the time to think of others. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. And therefore, I think you have the right to know exactly how it came about."

I tensed immediately, exchanging a wide-eyed look with Madi across the table. I saw Harry's head raise up to look at Dumbledore.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

The whispers swept through the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in a mix of horror and disbelief, and I tried my best to ignore the multiple looks that were exchanged around me at our table. Dumbledore stayed calm; he had most likely anticipated this reaction.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this, but not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory. Any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own is wrong."

My little group had subconsciously leaned forwards into the table, almost like we were barricading ourselves into our own little world – our own circle of protection. Every face in the room was stunned or frightened, or a mix of both. I glanced down the table a little, just catching Avery whispering something to the Carrow twins on either side of her. She caught my eye just before I looked away – the slight triumph in her eyes making me sick. I hadn't forgotten that she had been the one to tell Fred about my necklace, but that would have to be something I rectified next year. The knowledge of who her father is was also playing in the back of my mind a lot lately, was I supposed to feel more scared of her now? Because I didn't, if anything it only gave me that more of a reason to loathe her.

"There is somebody else who should be mentioned in Cedric's death," my attention re-focused on the Headmaster. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

There was another ripple through the hall, and I immediately tensed when I heard harsh whispers and sniggers from our table. It almost brought a smile to my face though that none of them came from my group of friends, who merely kept their expressions indifferent – like Harry's name meant nothing to them at all. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malfoy roll his eyes from where he was sitting to my right – but even he made no move to comment.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort; he risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts." I sought Harry out again, he had hung his head once more – contrary to what everyone would believe, this would be the last thing Harry would want Dumbledore saying right now.

"He showed the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown against Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."

Goblet's around the hall rose again, and I sucked in a sharp breath when mine was one of the only ones at our table to go up. I didn't blame my friends for not partaking – I would loathe that they would have only done it for me and not because they thought Harry deserved it, and they knew that. I felt my anger rise when sarcastic murmurs and sniggers started around the table, clenching the hand that was sitting in my lap and trying to take deep breaths. This was not the time or place to cause a scene.

I jumped slightly when I felt a hand on my leg and glanced at Malfoy with wide eyes. He was looking at me sidelong, a look in his eyes that was telling me the exact same thing, not to be foolish – to calm down. It worked, and I let out a long breath, feeling myself calming considerably. I snuck another look at him, but he had resumed staring at the Headmaster like nothing had happened. But he didn't move his hand from my leg, and I didn't push it away. I hated to admit it, but it was helping – the warmth of his hand being the thing I could centre on.

I tuned back into Dumbledore's speech, now also having to concentrate on stopping my cheeks from heating up due to Malfoy's hand still on my leg.

"It is my belief – and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken – that we are facing dark and difficult times. Many of you in this hall have already suffered directly, and a week ago a student was taken from our midst. Remember Cedric. Remember, if a time should come where you have to make a choice between what is right, and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave."

My friends and I all exchanged a look, the Headmaster's words hanging over everyone in the hall. Would we all eventually have to choose? I moved my gaze up to Malfoy again, he was already looking down at me. I could feel in my gut that he was going to face some of those hard decisions in the coming years, and I cursed the part of me that longed he would make the right ones.

* * *

The courtyard was a scramble the next morning. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students were rushing around, saying their goodbyes – as well as the usual Hogwarts population saying their last farewells before summer.

Blaise, Madi and I hung back in one of the walkways. I was sitting up in the archway, Blaise leaning on the pillar next to me with his girlfriend held tightly against his chest. Summer break was never easy for them, it was rare they ever got to see each other with their parents so against the relationship.

I watched with an amused smile as Hermione spoke quietly with Viktor Krum, who handed her a piece of paper and told her something rather sternly – which she responded to with a blushing nod.

"I'm going to miss you two," Madi pulled my attention, and I gave her a sad smile.

"I always miss you."

"And me?" Blaise teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Never," I shot back, "You're the bane of my existence, Zabini."

We all laughed, Madi holding onto Blaise's arms as he swung them back and forth gently. I watched them with a fond smile, despite everything that had happened with Fred – there was one thing I did know now. I wanted what my two friends had, someone to stand by me through thick and thin who made me feel like I could fly if I wanted to. But, I was still hurting from the break up with Fred, and that was part of the reason I still hadn't spoken with Malfoy – which I knew was unfair, but I was afraid of not being able to give him the answer he wanted.

At least not quite yet.

"Promise you'll write," Madi continued seriously. "No matter what happens this summer, I need to know you guys are okay."

I nodded, "I promise."

"Me too," Blaise kissed the top of her head, letting out a sigh as we gazed over the still bustling courtyard.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" I was the one who finally said what we were all thinking.

They both nodded, grim looks on their faces – and I felt my heart sink a little. Who knew which of my friendships would survive what was to come? What side of the inevitable war we were facing we would all end up on? I had hope that my friends who I knew and trusted would make the right choices, but I also knew I needed to prepare myself for the fact that they might not.

"One thing will never change, though." Blaise said firmly, breaking the solemn silence – looking between the two of us meaningfully. "This. It'll always be us – no matter what."

I smiled, reaching out and taking one of their hands each so that we all connected. "We go together, or not at all."

"Together or not at all," Madi echoed, her eyes shining.

"I suppose you'll sit with Potter on the way home?" Blaise asked as we let go, and I nodded.

"I'll find you on the platform when we get to London, to say goodbye."

"Fucking right you will," Blaise scoffed, making us laugh again – and I leaned my head against the side of the arch, trying to hold onto this moment as long as I could.

We all turned when he heard footsteps coming towards us, Blaise and Madi giving me knowing but encouraging smiles as Malfoy approached.

"Don't forget!" Madi warned as they started to walk away, "Platform in London!"

I rolled my eyes with a smile, "I won't."

"We'll see you on the train," Blaise shot Malfoy a wink as they walked past, and I sent him a warning look that he only grinned cheekily at. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I watched them go, counting my lucky stars every day Hogwarts gifted me with the two of them.

"Were you going to try and run off on me for the summer?" Malfoy questioned, leaning against the same pillar Blaise had been moments before.

"The timing of this whole thing really was awful," I said, shooting him an apologetic glance before resuming staring over the courtyard – if I kept eye contact with him for too long I would lose all my resolve.

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," he didn't sound as concerned as I was, merely raising an eyebrow at my words.

I looked at him in bewilderment, "It changes everything."

He held my gaze, "Not for me it doesn't."

I scoffed, jumping down from the archway and standing in front of him, "We both know it probably should."

He pushed off the column, "Why?"

"You know why," I said firmly. How could he possibly think that everything could just go on as normal now?

He shrugged carelessly, "I still feel exactly the same about you as I did before, why – have your feelings changed?"

It was a challenge, a test – and I softened my gaze. "No, they haven't." I wasn't going to stand here and lie to him about how I felt after everything that had happened.

His eyes glinted in triumph, and he moved a little closer to me, "Then what's the issue, Black?"

I sighed, biting my lip a little as I pondered the best way to explain. I felt him watching me, trying to figure out what was going on inside my head – why after we'd finally reached a point where we could start something I was pushing back.

"We're crazy to think this could work – especially now, when you and I both know what's coming," I finally said, and he rolled his eyes – getting a little fed up now.

"Even if all of that shit did matter, it's not happening yet is it? So, what's stopping you _now_?"

I blinked; I was running out of arguments. I don't know why I hadn't prepared myself for him to be so determined, if there was one thing he had proven to me this year it was that when he wanted something - he got it.

"See," he smirked, closing the last bit of distance between us and resting a hand on my hip. "You can't think of any real reasons, you're still just scared."

"Maybe I am," I admitted quietly, trailing my fingers across his hand before I could stop myself and avoiding his gaze. "I have a lot more to be scared of these days."

He didn't respond, silver eyes moving over my face as he brushed some hair behind my ear – like he was examining me, trying to figure me out. It felt like his eyes could see right through me, like I didn't even have to tell him all the fears I had for the two of us – he could already see them.

"Hmm," he eventually stepped back, a smirk falling easily onto his face. "Don't worry, Black," his stare turned serious, tucking his hands into his pockets and locking his eyes with mine. "I made the mistake of giving up on you once, I won't be doing it again."

I pretty much gaped at him, he was basically telling me he knew I needed time – and that maybe I would never be ready. But this time was different, this time he was willing to wait for me.

It was for that reason I rose up on my toes and pressed my lips against his cheek for a lingering moment, stepping away again and giving him a soft smile.

"Have a good summer, Malfoy."

As I turned away, I swore I almost saw him actually smile too.

* * *

I didn't find Harry until I actually got on the train, squeezing into the compartment he'd found with Ron and Hermione.

He had been doing better since the feast last night, he said hearing Dumbledore talk had almost opened him up in a way – he was more willing to talk about it all now. But I also think that came with time and getting a break from Hogwarts.

It was after the lunch trolley had been that we noticed Hermione had a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"How bad is it?" I asked with a grimace, referencing whatever god-awful story they would have spun about the events of the Third Task.

Hermione was suspiciously calm when she responded, "There's nothing in there. Just a small piece the day after the task saying Harry won, it didn't even mention Cedric."

"Fudge'll be trying to keep it quiet," Harry said darkly, and I nodded angrily in agreement.

"He won't keep Skeeter quiet for long," Ron rolled his eyes in distaste.

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything since the Third Task," Hermione waved us off breezily, "As a matter of fact," a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth – immediately intriguing me to whatever she was getting at, "Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her."

I grinned, "You did it, didn't you? You figured out how she was spying at Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded; the two boys immediately much more interested in what she had to say. "I wouldn't call it spying, so much as bugging."

"But you said Muggle technology doesn't work at Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, not electronic bugs," Hermione shook her head, lowering her voice a little, "You see, Rita Skeeter…is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn into a beetle!" And she pulled a jar out of her bag with a flourish, filled with twigs and leaves – and one big beetle.

I grinned maniacally, "Hermione, you're brilliant."

"You're kidding…" Ron breathed, looking utterly stunned.

"There was a beetle on the statue the night of the Yule Ball – when we heard Hagrid," Harry said, eyes wide.

"Exactly, and Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair when we'd had our chat by the lake – and she must have been perched on the windowsill of your Divination class," Hermione continued to explain. "She's been buzzing around for stories all year."

"I may hate the bitch," I said. "But I am impressed."

"Of course you are," Harry snorted, shaking his head.

"I said I'd let her out when we got to London as long as she keeps her quill to herself for a whole year, or I'll report her to the Ministry," Hermione seemed incredibly pleased with herself, and I had to give her credit. This was so brilliant I wish I'd thought of it myself.

"Good for you, Hermione," I stated, "She deserves it for all the shit she's been saying."

"Deserves a whole lot worse, I reckon." Ron scoffed, Harry nodding in agreement.

We fell silent for a while, Ron, Harry and I playing a couple of rounds of Wizard Snap while Hermione read. I was excited to get home, even though I had a feeling this summer would be different to any other. I had started to see now that I needed to take every moment I could get, take nothing for granted. Who knows how long it could be before it's all gone?

"Fred's doing alright, by the way," I was a little startled at Ron's comment, and raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me a little awkwardly. "Just wanted you to know I'm not like…holding any grudges, we're still mates y'know?"

I smiled, "I appreciate that Ronald."

He seemed satisfied, sighing in relief and going back to shuffling the cards. It hadn't taken the Gryffindors long to figure out Fred and I had broken up - and I'd told Harry myself just before he left the Hospital Wing after the task. I had wanted to wait as long as possible, knowing he already had too much on his mind. He had been concerned but I think he knew I would be okay, too. I didn't doubt he thought there was more to the story, but he hadn't pushed me about it yet – I naively hoped he never would.

"What did happen?" Hermione asked curiously, "Fred hasn't said much."

I felt my cheeks growing hot, and hoped they wouldn't notice as I shrugged nonchalantly, "We're just better off as friends - if he ever decides not to hate me."

"He definitely doesn't hate you," Ron snorted – before flushing red like he'd said something he shouldn't have.

Harry nudged me; he'd been oddly silent during this conversation. He tipped his head towards the door and I nodded, the two of us saying we'd be back soon.

We leant against the wall outside the compartment in comfortable silence for a while.

"I gave them my winnings," Harry finally said, and I looked at him in confusion, "The twins – I gave them my winnings from the tournament."

My eyes boggled, "You…wow…"

Harry shrugged, "I didn't want it, didn't need it…they do, you know? Told them to go open that joke shop." He was looking at me nervously, like he was worried I was going to be mad at him for doing it.

I smiled fondly, "You did a good thing, Harry – that was amazing of you."

"Bagman stole their money," he said, slumping slightly in relief when he realised I wasn't angry. "That's what they were being so sketch about the whole year, they were just trying to get it back."

I sighed, suddenly understanding why Fred had been so hesitant to tell me about it. He was probably ashamed that it was a money problem, that had always been the one thing we could never really talk to each other about. My heart stung like it usually did when I thought about everything that had gone wrong between us. Although it wasn't meant to be, the end still hurt – and I hoped one day maybe he would be able to forgive me.

I glanced over at Harry again, I couldn't imagine everything that he was going through at the moment. He would be thinking about what happened, what he lost – but also what was to come. What did this mean for him now?

"Harry?"

He looked over, "Yeah?"

I hesitated, "Are you scared?"

He sighed, a deep frown on his features as he looked back at me, "Yeah," he admitted. "I am."

I nodded, glancing down the corridor of the train.

"Are you?"

"Terrified."

He laughed a little, looking slightly relieved. "Okay, good. I thought it was just me."

Despite it, I laughed along with him. "Definitely not just you."

There was another small silence, and I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I spoke again. "We're going to be okay, though."

He raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

I nodded confidently, "Yep."

"How are you so sure?"

I smiled fondly at the boy who I considered my brother in every way, "Because it's you and me, Potter."

He grinned back, "You and me, Black."

And somehow - just knowing that made it all a lot less scary.

* * *

**END OF BOOK 1.**


	18. Out of the Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WELCOME BACK! Ahhhh! So sorry it's been a little bit of a wait, I meant to start publishing in Jan but time ran away from me!
> 
> I cannot even express how excited I am to be writing and sharing this one with you. Even when I was writing the end of GoF I was just waiting until I could start writing OotP! I hope you are all going to enjoy reading as much I have loved writing it!

I knew it was going to be a strange summer before it even began, but I don't think I had any idea just how different it would be to years past.

Usually I barely got a spare moment to myself throughout the two months we were home from school, there were always people coming in and out of our home of Grimmauld Place, and my father and I spending time with Harry and James almost every day. Now, we were over halfway through summer - and I hadn't seen Harry once.

And while there were certainly no shortage of people coming through – that didn't mean I was entirely clued into the purpose of their visits.

I knew that the Order of the Phoenix had been originally established the last time Voldemort rose to power and that my father and the others had been involved. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the meetings or clued in on any of the things they were doing – but it was kind of hard for them to leave me completely in the dark when they'd turned my house into Headquarters because we had the strongest protection charms.

So, a week after school let out, my dad had sat me down and told me he wished he could tell me more, but it just wasn't safe for me to know yet. He asked me to be patient and know that by just continuing to be safe I was helping. Then, unbelievably - Dumbledore had instructed it would be best if we all gave Harry some space this summer. There were things being set up, preparations being made, and he needed to be kept out of them for the moment to keep him safe. I was instructed not to mention anything about the goings on at Grimmauld Place to him until it was the right time. I strongly disagreed with the entire thing, but apparently I had no say in the matter – and so I spent the first couple of weeks exchanging letters with little to no substance to them before eventually I just gave up altogether. Even in letter form I couldn't stand lying to him, and I just hoped he would understand.

I had ended up taking on the same state of mind for my entire correspondence over this summer, the pile of unopened letters in my room was large enough now for Smudge to nest in if she wanted to. I had only heard from Blaise and Madi a couple of times each, which only unnerved me more. I knew it was spineless, but I was terrified to open any of the letters from my housemates. I wasn't sure I was ready to face it all just yet.

"I know I've said it every day this week," I stated, letting out a huff as I came downstairs one Friday just before the end of July, "But I am so over this heatwave."

As usual lately, James and Remus were with my father in the living room – talking in a close huddle.

"Hi," I smiled in greeting at them both, before raising an eyebrow at James and dropping my tone a little, "How's Harry?"

James sighed, very used to my not-so-subtle jabs about leaving Harry in the dark lately. "Okay, getting more restless."

"Hmm," I feigned shock, "I wonder why that is?"

"Cassie," my dad said warningly, looking tired. They all spent a lot of time looking worn out these days, and I put it down to the secret late-night Order meetings I kept trying to listen in on – I hadn't managed to crack any of the Silencing Charms yet, but I was determined.

"I know," I sighed, knowing it wasn't really fair to take out my anger at James, it wasn't his decision to leave Harry in the dark. "I just miss him."

James gave me a sad smile, "He misses you too."

"What are your plans for the day?" my dad tried to ask casually as I headed for the dining room, and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll go back upstairs and pretend I'm not here as usual when whatever thing you can't tell me about is happening."

"You'll find out soon, kid," my dad followed me in, leaning in the doorframe, "I promise."

"You've been saying that all summer," I sighed, pausing at the top of the stairs for the kitchen.

"The less you know-"

"-the safer I am." I turned to face him with a slight smirk, "I know Dad, you've been saying that all summer too."

"He really means it this time though," Remus appeared over his shoulder, his eyes twinkling slightly in amusement.

"Everyone else is arriving next week," my dad continued, and I straightened up a little bit. I had been wondering if everyone would be gathering like we usually did for the second half of summer, and I guess I had my answer. Then, just as suddenly my smile dropped - turning to gaze out the window and feeling my gut twist a little in anxiety.

That meant I would see Fred next week.

I hadn't seen him since the night of the Third Task. To my surprise – he sent me a letter only a few days ago, but like most of my letters this break, it was still sitting on the pile un-opened. I hadn't been able to bring myself to open it yet.

"Are you going to be okay?" it was like my dad read my mind, and I nodded at him in response when I saw his eyes shining in concern.

"Yeah, it's like I told you – we're just better off being friends, that's all there was to it."

That had been the explanation I'd given any time he'd asked, and it wasn't like it was exactly a lie – I was just choosing to leave certain details out. I was actually excited to hear everyone would be coming, maybe it meant I would finally get to find out what was going on – and besides, I was getting rather lonely around here these days.

"What about Harry?" I asked hopefully, my eyes narrowing when they exchanged a regretful look. "Seriously?"

James joined them in the doorway, his apology clear in his gaze, "It's easier if we keep him away from it as long as possible, you know how closely the Ministry is watching him these days."

"Do you really think it's easier for Harry to be spending his summer isolated from everyone?" I snapped, raising an eyebrow, "You're always here, so it's not like he even has you – and I can guarantee you he knows everyone is here without him. How does that help?"

"I think," Remus said calmly, watching warily from the corner of his eye as James ran a frustrated hand through his hair, "That we are all just trying to figure out how to cope with all of this. But you have to respect us enough to trust what we're doing, Cassie."

I scowled, being scolded by Remus always made me feel guilty – usually because he was always right to be telling me off, and he always did in a way that made you feel like you couldn't argue with him.

"I hate that you always let him be the one to tell me off," I grumbled to my dad.

He shrugged, exchanging a small wink with Remus, "He's just so damn good at it."

"That's because I've spent my entire life telling off the two of you."

I finally cracked a smile as my dad and James both rolled their eyes.

"You know," I knew what my dad was going to say before he even got the rest of his words out, letting out an irritated sigh. "You've been doing quite a good job of isolating yourself from everyone all on your own."

"I don't know what you mean," I said offhandedly, starting down the stairs without another word and starting to search the kitchen for food.

It hadn't taken my dad long to notice that I was ignoring my friends, usually I was barely around for the first month of summer. I always tried to see my Slytherin friends as much as I could before the Gryffindors arrived at the beginning of August so I could spend time with them once they did.

But I hadn't left the house once this summer. I knew it was selfish, and they were probably all worried about me - but I couldn't get that small nagging feeling out of my head that kept trying to convince me it was the exact opposite. That none of them were going to want to be my friends now anyway. Satisfied with my toast and coffee, I trudged back up the stairs - a grin splitting on my face when I saw a familiar violet-haired witch had now joined the Marauders, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Tonks!"

The Metamorphagus returned my grin just as brightly, "There's my favourite Black!"

"Hey!" my dad protested, looking slightly offended. "I'm right here."

I had immediately taken a liking to Nymphadora Tonks the first time she arrived at Grimmauld Place, how couldn't I? With her cheeky personality that complimented mine far too well, plus her incredible abilities as a Metamorphagus. Our instant bond had proved to be a headache for the other visitors of the house however, and my dad stated he knew he never should have introduced us after we dyed all the couches in the living room bright pink last week.

"How could you possibly be my favourite when you told me only last week you wished I was never born?" Tonks responded, and I giggled.

"That's because you dyed my couches pink!"

"It came out!" Tonks rolled her eyes, shooting me a wink and only making me laugh harder.

"That was my idea anyway, Dad," I shrugged as I tried to stop my giggles, and he only shook his head - not even looking surprised. I don't know what he'd expected, I was bound to be bored by this point.

"You alright?" Tonks asked me a little quieter as the four males resumed what looked like a serious conversation in hushed tones, and I knew I'd have to make myself scarce soon.

I shrugged, glancing a little at them in annoyance again, "Just sick of all the hushed conversations."

Tonks gave me a sympathetic smile, "I get you - I'd be going mad if I was living here and wasn't allowed to know anything."

I forced a grim smile her way, but any further conversation was halted when the front door suddenly opened, and more familiar faces started trudging through the house - Moody leading the charge.

I held up my hand in mock surrender when my dad immediately turned to me with a familiar apologetic look, "I'm going," I grumbled, starting for the stairs and managing a small smile when Tonks winked at me one last time. Just as I went to pass the open window, I spotted the familiar black feathers of Smudge glinting just in the distance - quickly putting down the coffee mug I still had in my hand as she flew in and perched herself on the bannister. I untied the letter from her leg, giving her a scratch as she cooed in response. I hadn't seen my owl in ten days, since I sent my last letters to Blaise and Madi - and the longer she was away the more worried I'd become.

Most of the Order members had moved down into the kitchen, but I saw my dad hovering back watching me, having obviously seen Smudge arriving as well.

"Who is it?" he questioned; he knew how stressed I'd been getting the last few days.

I examined the letter quickly, recognising the handwriting immediately, "Blaise," I responded, frowning a little at the fact there was only one letter, hoping that meant the two of them were somehow together and had responded in one. But even as the thought crossed my mind I knew it was probably unlikely.

Before I could move to open the letter, another all too familiar Eagle owl flew in and perched on the other bannister. I let out a sigh, shaking my head slightly as it watched me with slowly blinking eyes - waiting for me to take the letter attached to its foot patiently. This owl had become very used to my stubbornness in receiving its letters over the last few weeks.

"That particular owl has been especially persistent this summer," I jumped slightly when my father spoke again, I hadn't realised he was still here.

I coughed a little awkwardly as I met his knowing gaze, forcing a nonchalant shrug as I hastily took the letter, "I'm not sure what you mean. You should probably get to the meeting, I'll be upstairs."

I didn't miss the slight eye roll from my father as I turned and raced up the stairs, he wasn't blind - I know he'd noticed how often letters were coming from this owl. Even though I hadn't opened or responded to one letter all summer - Draco Malfoy had evidently been serious when he said he wouldn't be giving up on me.

Shaking the thoughts of Malfoy from my mind - something I found myself to be doing often lately - I sank onto my bed and ripped open Blaise's letter.

_CB,_

_Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you - I swear Smudge has been glaring at me these last few days like she knows I'm leaving you hanging. Only you would find an owl just as demanding as you._

_I know you've probably been worried, but I promise everything is fine. I was waiting to see if I heard from Mads before I wrote you back, but I couldn't leave it any longer. I'm guessing you haven't heard from her since the last letter either? From what I know her parents are being right gits this summer, I'd say they're monitoring who she's getting her letters from - and that we won't be on the list of approved recipients._

_Also, is it true you're ignoring everyone else? I ran into Moon the other day and she said she thought you might be dead. If you're being daft and not responding to everyone because you think they hate you I swear I'll kill you myself when I see you. She also said apparently Greengrass is threatening to send you a Howler - so I'd stop being such a stubborn ass and reply to your damn letters._

_I don't know if you've been monitoring the papers like I have - but from what I've been reading I'm guessing things are pretty intense over there for you. Especially if you still haven't seen Potter all summer, you worry about him far too much as it is._

_You need us more than ever, Black - now is not the time to push us all away._

_I'll see you soon._

_Blaise_

_PS - Malfoy bribed me to tell you to stop ignoring his letters._

_PPS - Apparently that first threat wasn't serious enough, so I quote "Stop ignoring his letters like a stubborn, childish brat."_

I let out a small sigh of relief, at least I knew Blaise was okay - and hopefully that Madi was too. It made sense that her parents would be trying to limit her contact with me, and I only prayed she was handling it okay. I knew he was probably right about ignoring everyone - but I still couldn't shake the fear off enough to seriously consider what he was suggesting. I had much more important things to worry about than replying to a few letters, hopefully they would understand when I saw them again on the 1st of September. None of them had any idea what was going on here, and I had made the mistake last year of letting my personal life distract me from what was most important - Harry's safety.

It was for that exact reason Malfoy's latest letter landed on the growing pile, once again unopened. I did have to bite back a smile when I thought about how he'd gone as far now to infiltrate one of Blaise's letters just to get to me. But I couldn't be thinking like that, I couldn't afford any more distractions this year - especially not from him.

* * *

**_I was running. I didn't know what I was running towards – only that I had to get there as fast as I could._ **

**_"CASSIE! HELP US! CASSIE WHERE ARE YOU!"_ **

**_My blood ran cold – that was Harry. I quickened my pace, finally skidding to a halt and my body filling with dread when the scene in front of me materialised._ **

**_Harry, my dad, James, Remus, the Weasleys, Hermione – the whole Order was tied down, trapped by vines and weeds and all matter of horrifying objects. I moved towards them instantly before another terrified voice stopped me in my tracks._ **

**_"CASSIE! NO PLEASE HELP US!"_ **

**_I turned to look behind me and choked out a gasp. Trapped by darker, more ferocious vines was Madi and Blaise, Daphne, Theodore, Lillian, Tracey._ **

**_I whirled between the two groups helplessly – there was only enough time to save one before the vines dragged them under for good._ **

**_"I can't choose! Please! Don't let any of them die!" I heard myself cry desperately._ **

**_"You have to decide." Red eyes gleamed through the darkness as the figure of my worst fears materialised. "You can't have both," Lord Voldemort taunted me, "They will never let you have both."_ **

**_"NO!"_ **

**_"If you don't choose." my eyes widened in horror as my mother appeared in front of me, blue eyes shining. "They will all die."_ **

* * *

I shot upright, breathing heavily as I came back to reality - gazing frantically around my room to make sure it was real. I let out a shaky breath, letting my head fall into my hands when I realised it had only been another dream.

The exact same I'd been having all summer.

The only thing that ever changed was how many people were present. Most of the time it was everyone, but sometimes it went down to only Harry, my dad, and Madi and Blaise.

But Voldemort always showed up, so did my mother.

I lay back down, trying to calm my still racing heart and reminding myself it was all just a dream born out of my own fear. I had been trying not to dwell on them too much since they started, and I definitely wasn't planning on telling my dad or anyone else about them. Everyone was already worried enough about Harry these days, I didn't need them unnecessarily worrying about me too.

There was no room for me to be the weak one.

Just as I felt myself starting to drift back to sleep, a sudden loud noise from downstairs made me shoot upright again. I waited in silence for a moment, wondering if I'd imagined it. After another particularly loud noise, I realised it definitely wasn't and quickly stood up and made my way down the stairs as fast as I could.

I blinked, wondering if I was still dreaming when I saw Moody, Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley - as well as other Order members I'd only met briefly Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore and Hestia Jones all gathered in the living room with my father talking in urgent tones. The meeting should have finished hours ago - so why were they all still here, and why did they all look so worried? And why was James missing?

A feeling of dread immediately settled in my stomach, "Dad."

Everyone turned to look at me, slightly startled by my sudden presence.

"What's happened?" I asked urgently, searching for answers from anyone who would give them to me - gripping onto the bannister tightly.

"Go," my dad looked at me briefly before turning back and nodding at Moody, "You need to go now before there's too many eyes on lookout."

Moody didn't argue, and the group of them headed for the front door without so much as a second glance at me - and my eyes widened as more fear cursed through me when I heard the sound of brooms taking off from outside.

"Dad?!" I repeated urgently, making my way down the last of the stairs and stopping in front of him. He forced a smile onto his face, obviously trying to reassure me - but it was so grim that it didn't help much at all.

"Harry was attacked by Dementors this afternoon."

My eyes widened in horror, and I felt sick to my stomach as soon as the words left his mouth, "What? How!? Is he okay?"

My dad nodded quickly, squeezing my arm gently, "He's okay, he used his Patronus charm and sent them right off."

I sagged a little in relief, thank Merlin for Lupin deciding to teach us both in third year.

"Wait," I frowned suddenly, "Then what the hell was everyone doing here, and where did they go?"

My dad let out a sigh, looking suddenly irritated, "The Ministry expelled him for underage use of magic."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with a shake of his head, "I know - it's completely unjustified. We're working on it, Dumbledore managed to get him a hearing in a few days."

"Good," I breathed out in relief, suddenly straightening up a little bit - hope surging through me, "Does this mean…?"

A small smile crossed my father's face, "Yeah kid, Harry's coming here. Tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this one was a lil short - think of it as more of a prologue than a chapter, just setting it all up! To make up for it I will most likely upload ch2 within the next couple of days :)
> 
> Buckle up y'all, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.


	19. The Ties That Bind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As promised, here is the next one for you lovely people!!

Although it was definitely not an ideal situation - I couldn't help but be excited that I would finally get to see Harry.

Once my dad told me he was coming, I was told to go straight to my room and wait there until the emergency Order meeting finished. I protested to no avail, but I was slightly appeased when he told me the Weasley's would be arriving soon too so at least we could 'all sulk together', as he put it.

It was only another half an hour before I heard footsteps running up the stairs - grinning when Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all burst into my bedroom.

"Can you believe it?" Hermione exclaimed after we'd all said our hello's, "It's completely ridiculous! I've already looked it up - they can't expel him, they just can't!"

"Dad reckons the Ministry is just using it as an excuse to keep him out of the public eye," Ron added, only making Hermione fret more. I had to almost do a double-take when I looked over at Ron for the first time, he'd grown much taller this summer and his voice had lowered considerably - and even as I glanced again at Hermione I noticed she was starting to grow into herself a little more.

"How has it been here?" Ginny asked eagerly, "Surely you know more than us about all this Order business, it's happening in your house!"

I shook my head in disappointment, "My whole summer has been locked doors and silenced conversations. I've been working for weeks on breaking the Silencing Charms, but I haven't made any progress. I haven't heard much of anything since the first week of summer when Lupin caught me outside the door, that's when they started putting the charms up."

"Damn," Ron muttered, "We've heard a bit from home, Fred and George have invented these Extendable Ears - they're brilliant…ow!" he trailed off when Ginny elbowed him in the side, turning to me with wide eyes when he realised why, "Oh, sorry."

I shook my head, ignoring the immediate anxiety that twisted in my gut at the mention of Fred's name. "It's fine, did you hear anything good?"

"Not much before Mum caught on," Ginny responded grimly. "We were hoping you would be our information source."

"Me too." I sighed, disappointed. "I always check the meetings just in case they forget - Tonks told me if you chuck stuff at the door and it doesn't make contact that means there's an Imperturbable Charm on."

Ginny's eyes lit up, "Ooh, I'll go check - that sounds wicked fun!"

I let out a laugh as the youngest Weasley snuck back out the door, closing it gently behind her.

"I feel awful about Harry," Hermione said quietly, looking at me with sad eyes. "I could just tell from his last letters he's furious with us."

"At least you've been good enough to still write," I sighed, a slight guilt filling me. "I couldn't stand lying to him anymore - I haven't written to him in weeks."

Ron had spotted the pile of letters on my desk and turned to grin at me in amusement, "Apparently he isn't the only one."

I made a face at him, which only made him laugh and Hermione roll her eyes at us like she often did - and suddenly I felt almost glad for Harry's unfortunate attack, I hadn't realised just how lonely I'd made myself this summer.

At that moment, the door opened again - and I barely got a glimpse of Harry's untidy dark hair before Hermione threw herself at him, making them both stumble with the force of her hug.

"HARRY! Oh - he's here! We didn't hear you arrive, how are you?! Have you been furious with us? I bet you have; I know our letters were useless, but we couldn't tell you anything - Dumbledore made us swear! Oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you have so much to tell us! When we heard...it's just outrageous! I've looked it up, they can't expel you - there's a provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations-"

"Let him breathe, Hermione." Ron finally interrupted with a grin, closing the door and exchanging an amused eye roll with me.

Hermione finally released him, still beaming. Harry looked a little taken aback still, but he didn't have a smile on his face as he looked around at us. Before any of us could say anything else however, a white blur came flying through my open window and perched on Harry's shoulder.

"Hedwig!"

"Oh yeah," Ron said, "She must have followed us from home, she's been in a right state - pecked us half to death when she brought your last letters."

"Right, sorry," he didn't sound sorry. "But I wanted answers, you know."

"We wanted to give them to you, mate," Ron was apologising, but Harry's eyes were trained on me - and I tried not to shrink under his cold gaze. I knew he was probably going to be the angriest at me, the two of us had never gone this long without talking and he was supposed to be able to count on me no matter what.

"It wasn't up to us, we swear." Hermione added, "Dumbledore made us promise."

"Yeah," Harry said bluntly, still refusing to look away from me. "You said that," his eyes flashed, "What about you then? I haven't heard a scrap from you in what, three weeks?"

I winced, "I know, I'm sorry. I just hated that I was lying to you - it felt easier to not talk to you at all."

"Right," he said. "Easier."

"I've been saying all summer they shouldn't be leaving you in the dark," I protested desperately. "I told them you'd just end up doing something stupid…"

"Have you been here this whole time?" he turned to Ron and Hermione accusingly, and they shook their heads vigorously.

"We only got here an hour ago," Ron responded, a strained silence filling the room after he spoke.

"Dumbledore just thought it was best," Hermione finally broke it, speaking quietly.

"Right," Harry said again.

"Our dads were saying it too," I agreed with Hermione. "I kept telling them Harry, I swear - but they said you would be safer if you didn't know anything."

"Yeah?" he raised his eyebrows, "Were any of you attacked by Dementors this summer?"

"Well, no." I coughed, "But that's why they had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time-"

"Didn't work out well, did it?"

We all fell silent again. I refused to look away from him, but he wouldn't meet my eyes anymore. I hated that there was this sudden distance between us, I don't think he had ever been this angry with me before - and he had a right to be. If I thought my summer was awful I can't imagine how dreadful his must have been.

"Dumbledore didn't say why he wanted to keep me in the dark, then?" Harry tried to keep his voice casual as he walked closer to the window, Hedwig still nestled on his shoulder. I saw Ron and Hermione exchange a look, almost like they'd known this was exactly how he was going to react - and I agreed with them, I had been warning everyone the entire time he was not going to take being left out very well.

"We haven't even seen him," Ron replied. "Not since the start of summer when he asked us not to say anything to you - they're worried the owls might be intercepted."

Harry snorted, and I could sense the anger starting to radiate off him, "You're not telling me he doesn't know how to send messages without owls?"

Hermione hesitated - then replied, "I thought that too, but he didn't want you to know."

"So, he doesn't trust me then."

I snorted, getting a little fed up now and shooting him a small glare, "Don't be daft."

"Then how come you all get to know what's going on?" he turned back to me, eyes fiery - and I'd had enough of his pity party now. I knew he was upset, but it was not our fault and he didn't need to take it out on us.

"Harry, we said we're sorry - but it was out of our control, all right? We already told you we barely know anything!"

And then, just like I had been expecting - Harry exploded.

"YEAH? WELL AT LEAST YOU KNOW SOMETHING! I'VE BEEN STUCK AT HOME ALONE, ALL SUMMER! I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN ANY OF YOU EVER HAVE AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT! I'M THE ONE WHO WAS THERE, I'M THE ONE WHO SAW HIM COME BACK - WHO SAW CEDRIC DIGGORY GET MURDERED!"

Hermione and Ron were both staring at him in shock, Ron's mouth was hanging open and Hermione looked like she may cry at any moment. I simply let out a sigh, resting my chin on my hands while I waited for him to finish.

"BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"

"We tried-" Hermione tried to protest again, eyes teary.

"WELL OBVIOUSLY NOT VERY HARD!"

"Harry!" I finally snapped, standing up and matching his glare equally as harshly. "We get it, okay? But we said sorry, don't take this out on us! If you want to yell at someone - go yell at your dad, or mine, or Dumbledore! They're the ones that decided to do this, not us!"

He glared back at me, breathing heavily - but made no move to continue to scream at us.

"We really are sorry, Harry!" Hermione said again desperately, "You're absolutely right - I'd be furious if I were you."

"Do you feel better now?" I commented drily, crossing my arms as I watched him pacing angrily up and down my bedroom - refusing to look at any of us.

He shot me a withering glance, "What do you know then? About Voldemort? What are we doing about him, where is he?"

"We already told you we don't know," I responded in irritation, "Do you think my dad let me near any of the Order meetings?"

"Is anyone going to tell me what the bloody Order of the Phoenix is!?"

"It's a secret society - Dumbledore formed it last time," Hermione explained quickly, "We gather it's a lot of the same people from back then."

"We might be able to find out more now," Ron had perked up, "Fred and George have these Extendable Ears-"

"Extendable Ears?"

"Yeah, they were super useful at home until Mum caught on - they had to hide them so she wouldn't throw them all out. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them you know…"

I raised an eyebrow; I hadn't known that. "I only heard that they were following you before I got caught out, and that they're trying to recruit more members. Oh, and they're always talking about guard duty – standing guard over something."

Harry nodded slowly, taking the information in but still not looking entirely pleased with us. I wasn't too worried; I knew he would calm down eventually.

"I suppose it's lucky the Dementors attacked me then, or I wouldn't be here," he said eventually, I exchanged a look with Ron and Hermione - hoping they knew as well as I did it wouldn't be a good idea to mention they were due to arrive next week without him.

"Are you worried about the-" I didn't get to finish my question before a loud CRACK echoed around the room - Hermione letting out a little scream as Fred and George suddenly appeared in my bedroom.

I blinked in shock for a few moments. Out of all the scenarios of seeing my ex-boyfriend for the first time - him Apparating into my bedroom had not been on my list.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Hermione complained.

"Hello Harry," George beamed, the two of them ignoring Hermione. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up all your anger like that, Harry - let it all out," I shifted a little awkwardly when Fred spoke, immediately averting my gaze when his eyes moved over to me briefly, "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."

"You two passed your Apparition test, then?" Harry grumbled.

"With distinction."

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk up the stairs," Ron said bluntly.

"Time is galleons, Ronnikins." Fred responded, "Anyway Harry, you were interfering with reception."

"Extendable Ears," George filled in when Harry's eyebrows raised, "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."

I let out a sigh before I could stop myself, "They would have been handy to have earlier in the summer."

The twins both turned to me, as did the other three in the room - the awkward silence suddenly hovering over us. My eyes met Fred's for the first time, neither of us knowing exactly what to say. I almost hexed Ron when I heard him mutter 'awkward' under his breath.

Thankfully, we were saved by the door opening once more and Ginny reappearing in the room.

"Oh, hi Harry!" she said brightly, "I thought I heard your voice," she then turned to me with a grim smile, "That Tonks was right - I've been tossing Dungbombs at the door from the top of the stairs and they just keep soaring away."

I let out a frustrated growl, "Story of my whole fucking summer."

"Who is Tonks anyway?" Ron questioned.

"One of the Order members," I explained, a wicked grin crossing my face. "You'll love her, we dyed the couches pink last week."

"You didn't," George grinned, and I shot him a wink.

"You can't even imagine how bored I've been."

"Who else is a member?" Harry asked.

I shrugged, "I've seen a lot of people going in and out, a lot of them I don't know. But obviously all of our parents, Lupin, Moody...I've seen McGonagall once or twice, oh and Snape."

"Snape?!" Harry exclaimed in shock.

" _Yes_ , problem?"

"Snape is in the Order?" he demanded, suddenly looking furious again.

"Why wouldn't he be? You know as well as I do he's on our side, or did you forget what happened in the Hospital Wing last year?" I snapped, and he backed down a little - still not looking entirely happy with the news.

"Bill says he's still a git," George said, leaning against my dresser with his arms crossed.

"Is he back from Egypt?" Harry said, evidently his curiosity for all the information he had missed thankfully trumping his anger now.

Fred nodded, "He applied for a desk job so he could come home and join the Order, he says he misses the tombs but…" he trailed off with a smirk.

"There are compensations," George finished with a snigger.

"What d'you mean?"

"Remember Fleur Delacour? She's got a job at Gringotts to _eemprove 'er Eeenglish_ , and Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons," George explained.

All of us grimaced at the thought.

"Charlie's in the Order too," Ron moved the subject swiftly along, "But he's still in Romania - Dumbledore wants as many international wizards brought in as possible."

I could feel Fred consistently trying to make eye contact with me - but I purposely avoided looking anywhere near his direction. I hadn't had any time to prepare for seeing him yet, I thought I'd still had another week at least.

"Couldn't Percy do that?"

Every Weasley in the room tensed at Harry's question, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't mention Percy to Mum and Dad," Ron shook his head darkly, "Unless you want Dad to break whatever he's holding and Mum to start crying."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I reckon we're completely shot of him. He and Dad had a massive row, I've never seen him that angry before - usually Mum does the yelling y'know?"

"Good old Perce got a promotion," George piped up, and my eyebrows shot up my face in surprise - which he nodded in response to, "Exactly what we thought - he got in major trouble after everything went down with Crouch, so it just all didn't add up."

"I don't get it," Harry shook his head, "How did Percy getting a promotion cause a row?"

"Well he came home all proud of himself as usual, expecting Dad to be all impressed I reckon. Only he wasn't…"

"Fudge has been cracking down on anyone who's associated with Dumbledore," Fred said, "His name is mud in the Ministry these days - they reckon he's just making up You-Know-Who being back."

I snorted, exchanging an angry look with Harry.

"Fudge knows Dad is friendly with Dumbledore, so he reckons he only wants Percy in his office to spy on the family - and Dumbledore."

I laughed a little, "I bet that went down well with Percy."

Ron grimaced, "He went berserk, said a whole lot of awful stuff. Like how he's been struggling through Dad's lousy reputation since he started at the Ministry and that Dad has no ambition, which is why we've never...you know...had a lot of money."

Harry gasped loudly, and Ginny growled like a cat as I clenched my fists at my side - eyes narrowed.

"It got worse, he said Dad was an idiot for running around with Dumbledore and it would only end up dragging him down, he knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry - and that if we were going to be traitors he would make it clear he wasn't part of our family anymore."

I fell onto my bed angrily, "I know he's your brother - but I'll kill him myself."

The twins made a noise of agreement, no one else in the room looking like they disagreed with me.

"He packed up and left that night," George said, "Lives here in London now."

"Mums been a mess," Ginny said sadly, "She tried to come see him a few times, but he slammed the door in her face."

"He's not stupid though," Harry said, ignoring the noise of disagreement I made that caused Ginny to snigger a little, "Surely he knows Voldemort must be back? That your parents wouldn't think it without any proof?"

"Percy takes the Daily Prophet very seriously," Hermione said darkly, and both Harry and I frowned in confusion.

"What does the Daily Prophet have to do with it?" I asked.

Ron snorted, "Oh brilliant - so you've been ignoring all your letters and the papers?" He cast an exaggerated look towards my pile of letters, and I flushed when everyone else in the room followed his gaze. Fred whirled back to face me, his eyes shining in understanding.

"Sometimes I really hate you, Ronald."

"Cassie," Hermione scolded with a shake of her head, "Have you been ignoring everyone all summer?"

I didn't respond, trying to ignore that Fred's eyes were now burning into me as I stared down at my lap.

Apparently everyone else in the room had noticed the awkward tension for the second time too, George being the one to finally speak up.

"Alright kiddies, everyone out! Harry - we'll tell you all about the Daily Prophet out in the very comfortable hallway!"

"But-"

"Hallway!"

I had to bite back a smile as George practically shoved my godbrother out the door - shooting me and Fred a wink over his shoulder. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione quickly scurried out after them and closed the door - leaving me and Fred alone.

We were silent at first, and I found that I honestly didn't know what to say to him. I hated it; this had always been what I was trying to avoid - feeling like I couldn't talk to him.

"I understand if you're still angry at me-"

"So, did you not even open-"

We both stopped, and I had to stifle a laugh at the fact we'd spoken at the exact same time - and when my eyes met his I saw him look away with the ghost of a laugh as well.

"If you'd opened it," he continued first, nodding briefly towards my letter pile, "You would have your answer to that question."

I already felt more relaxed when his tone was nowhere near as cold as it had been the last time I'd seen him, and when even though he still seemed a little guarded there wasn't any obvious animosity coming off of him.

I raised an eyebrow at him expectantly, but he only raised his back and looked over at the pile again.

"Are you actually just going to make me read it?" I asked incredulously.

"I put a lot of effort into that I'll have you know; I think it's the least you can do."

I winced a little, he probably hadn't meant it to be harsh - I could hear how playful his tone was, but it made me walk over and take the letter anyway before settling back on my bed, glancing at him one more time to make sure he was serious. He nodded at me again, and I rolled my eyes before finally ripping the letter open - letting out a shaky breath before I started to read.

_Cass,_

_I've tried to write this letter about three times now, but I could never really bring myself to do it. I'm guessing your summer has been about as strange as ours - and suddenly the only person I wanted to complain about it all with was you._

_I won't lie to you - I was angry for a really long time._

_You hurt me, and I know you didn't mean to, but you did. I spent so much time trying to figure out if I could have done something differently, if there was anything I could have done to fix whatever went so wrong with us. But then I realised thinking like that wasn't going to help either of us, and I don't want to keep looking back anymore. The last thing I ever want to do is lose you for good._

_I don't think I'm angry anymore. Mostly I just miss you, I'm starting to get a little sick of only having George around to cause mischief with. I figured maybe sending you this letter would help ease some of that inevitable awkward tension when we do finally see each other._

_So, I guess what I'm trying to say is I forgive you._

_I can't wait to see you soon, and I hope we can move on from all of this._

_George says to say hi - and that he's really glad I've decided to forgive you and he doesn't have to pretend to hate you forever._

_Fred_

I sat in silence for a long while after I finished reading, still staring at the letter down in my hands - trying to wrap my head around how he could possibly truly mean everything he had said in it. Merlin knows I didn't deserve it.

"Do you mean it?" I finally looked up at him, tears pricking at my eyes.

He nodded carefully, "Every word."

I let out a long, shaky breath, "How can you possibly forgive me?"

He shrugged, "It's like I said - the last thing I want is to not have you in my life at all," he hesitated. "Is-is that not what you want?"

I shook my head quickly, "That was always my biggest fear," I admitted. "I never wanted to lose you - I literally can't imagine my life without you in it, Fred."

He finally smiled, slumping a little in relief. "Okay, good…good."

"You know how sorry I am, right?" I asked again quietly, and he nodded.

"I know."

"You deserve so much better than me," I said. "Nothing that happened was your fault, I need you to know that."

"It wasn't all you…" he tried to argue, but I shook my head with a slight scoff.

"I was the world's worst girlfriend," I said firmly. "Seriously, I don't know how you put up with me for so long."

He chuckled, holding my gaze for a moment, "It wasn't all bad."

"No," I smiled softly. "It wasn't."

We stayed silent again for a while, but it wasn't as awkward as before. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I couldn't even imagine if he had never forgiven me - even if I couldn't believe he had. It just proved to me even more I had never deserved someone as amazing as him.

"So," he said a little awkwardly as I stood up, his gaze resting on the necklace still clasped around my neck. "Are you and Malfoy…?"

My eyes widened, unconsciously touching the necklace for a moment before hastily dropping my hand once I realised. "No! Um...no," I couldn't believe he'd even asked, and I didn't miss the small flicker of relief in his eyes as he nodded slowly at my answer. I shot him a nervous glance, "You didn't tell anyone did you?"

"No," he replied, smirking slightly as he glanced between me and all my unopened letters again. "But let me guess, he's one of the people you've been ignoring?"

I scowled, "I've been ignoring everyone - it doesn't mean anything in particular." I tried not to dwell on the fact that I'd picked up his letter that arrived this morning three times already before putting it back down again without opening it once I'd realised what I was doing.

Fred snorted, "Right - well at least I can see the summer hasn't changed you too much. Still just as scared of your feelings as ever."

My mouth dropped open, and I whacked him playfully on the arm, "Git!"

He simply laughed, and I couldn't help the grin on my face as he did so. It was nice to know we could fall back into our old pattern this easily.

"Come on," I said, opening the door and heading out to find the others. "I want to see these Extendable Ears of yours."

"Ah yes, probably our best creation to date."

"You two managed not to kill each other, then?" George asked as we found the group of them crouched on the landing a floor down.

"So far," I shot back with a wink, and he grinned.

"Have you heard anything?" Fred asked, the two of us joining them on the floor.

"We were just about to try," George responded, and we all watched as he slowly lowered a string with an ear attached to the end of it down towards the closed door below.

"I already told you it won't work," Ginny said in irritation, "The gap won't be big enough!"

"Shh!" Fred and George both shushed her harshly, and she sat back with an irritated pout.

Just as the youngest Weasley had predicted, we couldn't hear anything but muffled voices - but the twins persisted, moving the string around different angles trying to find some crack in the spell.

"Hermione," my eyes widened. "Is that Crookshanks?"

Everyone's expressions mirrored mine as Hermione's fluffy menace of a cat Crookshanks appeared on the stairs and started prowling towards where the ear was dangling.

"No," Fred hissed as the unmistakable sound of the licking of lips echoed up to us.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione hissed harshly, panic in her eyes. The cat started batting at the ear, ignoring all of us trying to quietly scold her from above.

"No!"

"Get off it!"

" _Crookshanks_! Leave it alone!"

The ear was in the cat's mouth now, and I already knew exactly where this was going to go before it even happened. Within seconds, the ear was gone - now lost in the stomach of Hermione's stupid cat.

"Hermione I hate your cat," Ron said bluntly, the rest of us nodding in agreement as Hermione leant on the rail - face flushed in shame.

We all scurried up from the floor when we heard the door opening, racing down the stairs as fast as we could - sounding like a herd of elephants as we did so.

"What were you doing?" a suspicious Mrs Weasley greeted us at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed.

"Nothing," somehow, all seven of us managed to chorus at the same time.

"That sounds convincing," James grinned as the rest of the meeting started filing out.

"Honestly," my dad agreed. "Chorusing in unison? You should know better."

"Stop encouraging them!" Mrs Weasley said, waving her hands and moving in front of us when she saw us trying to peer over her shoulder at who was making their way out of the dining room, "Down in the kitchen, all of you - start getting the table ready for dinner! And where did all these Dungbombs come from?"

"Maybe Crookshanks found them in our bags," Ginny lied easily as she and Hermione quickly moved towards the kitchen, obviously knowing it was a bad idea to try and push Mrs Weasley at the moment.

"That sounds like something that blasted cat would do," Ron mumbled, ignoring the dirty look from Hermione. He and Harry begrudgingly moved forward as well, James and the others walking with Harry as they went.

"I can't believe your mother is ordering me around in my own house," I frowned to the twins on either side of me.

"Are you surprised?" George scoffed.

" _Go!_ "

"Now you know what our summers been like," Fred murmured to me as we hastily moved forward.

"Well thank Salazar the three of us have finally been brought back together again," I grinned wickedly as we started down the stairs.

"Here, here!" George whooped. "I feel like everyone's been having far too a peaceful time."

"Couldn't agree more," Fred echoed, he and I exchanging one more smile. I would never stop reminding myself how lucky I was he was a good enough person to forgive me.

Harry was just being greeted by Mr Weasley and Bill, who said hello to me just as warmly as we all gathered in the kitchen.

"Did you actually just walk down the stairs?" Ron was looking at the twins incredulously, and I covered my mouth to stop my laugh when I saw Tonks knock a candle onto the table and almost light some parchment on fire behind him. She really was ridiculously clumsy.

"Solidarity," George beamed, ruffling my hair and ignoring my yells of protest. "Lil Cass can't Apparate yet."

"I take everything I just said back," I grumbled, glaring at George.

"You don't do that for me!" Ron complained, and the twins just shrugged.

"We like her more than you."

I laughed as Ron started mumbling something grumpily under his breath, before Mrs Weasley started telling everyone to help with dinner or we wouldn't be eating til midnight. Harry was at the table, talking with James, Remus and my dad - still looking rather grumpy as they spoke. I noticed Mundungus Fletcher was napping at the table as well, reminding myself I still needed to make him pay for abandoning his post on Harry earlier tonight.

I found myself in the corner, chatting with Ginny and Tonks as Mrs Weasley handed out orders and supervised the cooking. Ginny was practically in stitches as Tonks kept changing her face to various different animals, and even though I'd been seeing all her tricks the last few weeks I still wasn't over them yet either.

"Fred - George - NO JUST CARRY THEM!"

We all looked up just as a cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden breadboard - complete with a knife - went hurtling across the kitchen. Harry and the Marauders just managed to duck out of the way as it all came crashing down, the knife landing ominously in the table right where my father's hand would have been.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Mrs Weasley screeched as we all collapsed into laughter, Ginny and I leaning on the wall to keep ourselves upright, "THERE WAS NO NEED - I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN USE MAGIC NOW DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO WHIP OUT YOUR WANDS FOR EVERY LITTLE THING!"

The entire kitchen was in stitches, Mundungus had toppled backwards off his chair and was scrambling to his feet, I had tears almost streaming down my face as the twins hastily scrambled to pick everything up.

I had a feeling the rest of the summer was going to be just fine.

* * *

Mrs Weasley still hadn't completely calmed down by the end of dinner, which proved to be a rowdy affair. Between Tonks and her animal impressions, and Mundungus' less than legit stories from his 'business deals', there was barely a quiet moment. I did have to agree with Mrs Weasley's opinion on Mundungus though – I couldn't stand the shady git.

"Have you decided to stop being mad at me yet?" I asked Harry after we'd downed about three servings of pudding each.

"No," he said stubbornly, glaring back at me across the table.

I rolled my eyes, "Brilliant," I turned to look accusingly at my dad and the others, "See? It wasn't even my fault and I'm the one in the shits."

"Oh, it's not just you," my dad responded with a smirk. "He's mad at all of us."

"You know," James said, raising an eyebrow at his son, "For how upset you've been at being kept in the dark – I'm surprised you haven't asked us one question about Voldemort yet."

The sleepy, relaxed lull that had fallen over the kitchen now suddenly became much more tense. Everyone sat up a little straighter again, the mention of Voldemort's name sending a ripple of fear over the table.

"I did!" Harry responded indignantly, looking between me, Ron and Hermione. "I asked them as soon as I got here, but they said we weren't allowed to know anything because we're too young!"

"Quite right," Mrs Weasley mumbled under her breath, ignoring the scowl on Ron's face.

"We were trying to keep you out of it as long as possible," James said softly, ignoring the fierce glares coming from Mrs Weasley still. "But as much as I hate it - this does involve you, Harry."

My mouth dropped open, and I noticed the Weasley children and Hermione also looking appalled, "So I have to spend all summer hiding in my own house and Harry's here for five minutes and he gets to know everything?!"

"Not everything," my dad responded calmly, shooting me a slightly warning look that made me sit back in my seat a little – crossing my arms angrily.

"Just what's necessary." Remus agreed, I think mostly to appease Mrs Weasley who was still looking scandalised that anyone thought of telling Harry anything. She had always thought of Harry and I as just as much her children as anyone.

"I want to know." Harry said immediately, sitting forward eagerly in his seat. I understood his haste, I had been waiting my entire summer for this too.

"Cass…" my dad turned to me, and I looked back at him incredulously when I saw that all too familiar look from this summer.

"Are you joking?"

"The less you know the-"

"No!" I snapped, "If Harry gets to know – then I get to know!"

"This doesn't concern you," my father was rarely stern with me, and I knew he only wanted to keep me safe, but I'd had enough. Weeks of being left in the dark had finally pushed me to my breaking point.

Surprisingly, Harry came to my defence before I could respond, "If it concerns me, it concerns her." I looked over at him in slight surprise, "You always tell us that. She's right – if I get to know so does she."

The two of us shared a small smile, and I felt relieved that he apparently wasn't too mad at me still.

My dad let out a long sigh, the conflict clear in his face – but after exchanging a look with James and Remus he finally nodded, and I sat up a little straighter in triumph.

"Very well," Mrs Weasley spoke up, her voice strained. "Ginny – Ron – Hermione – Fred – George – I want you out of the kitchen, now." There was instant uproar.

"We're of age!" Fred and George bellowed, looking absolutely scandalised.

"If Harry and Cass are allowed why can't I?" Ron yelled.

"Mum I want to know!" Ginny whined.

"NO!" Mrs Weasley stood up, glaring between her children, "I absolutely forbid-"

"Molly," Mr Weasley spoke up wearily. "You can't stop Fred and George, they are of age."

"They're still at school-"

"-but they are legally adults."

"Besides," George spoke up, smirking in my direction. "Cassie would tell us anyway."

I pretended to ponder, "Would I?"

George smirked, casting a sidelong look at his brother cheekily. "Well, at least me - maybe not Fred now."

"Shut up George."

I had to bite my lip to stop from laughing, I did not want to risk Mrs Weasley's wrath – simply shooting the twins a wink in response, making them both smirk back triumphantly.

"Fine! Fred and George can stay, but Ron-"

"No!" Ron protested hotly, "Harry'll just tell me and Hermione everything anyway!" He turned to Harry, suddenly looking unsure, "Won't you?"

I snuck a subtle glance at my godbrother, and for a moment I thought he wasn't going to agree with his best friend – his anger from them not telling him anything almost taking over, but just as quickly it was gone.

"Course I will."

Ron and Hermione both beamed.

"FINE! Ginny – BED!"

"WHAT!" the youngest Weasley was enraged, "But that's not fair! Now I'm the only one who doesn't get to know!"

"You are absolutely too young!" Mrs Weasley had evidently had enough of her children disobeying her for one night, and this time refused to back down. As Ginny – quite dramatically – made her exit from the kitchen, I made sure to shoot her a small but subtle wink to let her know I would make sure she was clued in. She still made sure to storm as loud as she could up the stairs, but I hoped I'd appeased her at least a little. I noticed my dad giving me a withering glare as I turned back to the table, but I simply smiled innocently in response. He shook his head, a slight smirk on his face as the air became much more serious once more.

"Well?" Harry asked impatiently, looking at his father – who let out a deep sigh. "Where is he then, where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to keep up with all the Muggle news and there hasn't been anything, no funny deaths."

"That's because there haven't been any funny deaths yet," James responded, "Not as far as we know anyway, and we know a lot."

"More than he thinks we do, anyway," Remus said, a slightly proud smirk on his face.

"How come he isn't killing people?" I frowned. He had practically spent the whole of the last year murdering people before we'd even known he was back.

"Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself," my dad said, "His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it too, he messed it up."

"Or rather, you did Harry." James said, smiling a little in satisfaction.

"How?" Harry looked perplexed, and I snorted.

"Because you're still alive, genius."

"Yes," my dad glared slightly warningly at me before continuing. "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he was back – and he especially didn't want Dumbledore to know, and the first thing you did when you survived was alert him."

"And that helped?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding?" Bill raised his eyebrows down the table, "Dumbledore is the only one he's ever been scared of."

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order an hour after he returned," James said.

"And what have you been doing?" I asked, very determined to get all the answers I'd been missing the last few weeks.

"Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans," James sighed.

"Which are?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well firstly," my dad shifted a little in his seat, "He wants to build up his army again. In the old days he had huge numbers at his command: witches and wizards, giants, all manner of dark creatures. He's certainly not going to take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."

"So, you're trying to stop him from getting more followers?" Harry asked.

"We're trying," James grimaced, "It's proving rather difficult when most people you talk to don't even believe he's back."

I was confused, but Harry nodded in understanding, "Because the Prophet is making me out to be crazy?"

I blinked, "Wow, I really need to start paying attention to the paper."

Fred tossed a paper that was discarded in front of him down the table to me, and I shot him a grateful smile – only needing to glance at the cover to understand what they meant. The first headline was just a picture of Harry calling him 'THE BOY WHO LIES', then changing to an image of Fudge stating, "ALL IS WELL."

I snorted, tossing it away from me, "Typical. So, Fudge is still being delusional then?" I still remembered the anger and fear radiating from the Minister in the Hospital Wing last year, so this denial didn't surprise me in the slightest.

"Why though?" Harry asked desperately, "If Dumbledore-"

"Ah, well that's just the problem there," Mr Weasley said wryly, "Dumbledore."

"Fudge is frightened of him," Tonks said, and I shot her an incredulous look.

"What for?"

"Fudge thinks Dumbledore is after his job," Mr Weasley explained, and I let out a scoff. Dumbledore as Minister?

"That's insane!" Harry exclaimed, echoing my thoughts. "No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore-"

"Exactly the point," Remus cut Harry off in agreement, "Fudge isn't in his right mind, it has been twisted and warped by fear. Fear makes people do terrible things; the last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold dear."

There was a weighted silence throughout the kitchen. I glanced up at my father, who was staring into the distance with a sad look in his eyes, seeing James was doing the same. No one needed any reminders of what we'd already lost.

"Now he's returned, I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

"But that doesn't help anyone," I argued, anger coursing through me, "Just because Fudge wants to pretend it isn't happening doesn't mean it's not."

"We know, kid," my dad said gently. "That's why we're doing what we're doing."

"So, you are telling people then?" Harry looked around the table urgently, "You're letting people know he's back?"

James grimaced, "It's not that easy. Arthur and Tonks can't go shooting their mouths off or they'd lose their jobs, and it's important for us to have spies in the Ministry. And anyone else who dares speak of it - like Dumbledore, Fudge uses all his influence at the Daily Prophet to shut it down."

"Besides, it's not like we're the most credible sources," my dad said. "I'm the disgraced son to most of society, and Remus isn't exactly a welcome dinner guest." I frowned, but I knew he was right. My father deflecting from the Black family line was never going to stop being a scandal, and although any insults or snide comments made to me in the Common Room slid right off my back - it was times like this I really wished the wizarding society would stop being so prejudiced.

"So, what?" I rolled my eyes, "They just make Harry and Dumbledore out to be crazy and that's that? Everything else goes back to normal?"

"What can I do?" Harry asked, looking determined.

"Nothing," James said firmly. "The only thing you need to do now is stay safe and get through this hearing. Let the Order handle everything else."

"But-" he went to protest, but a particularly stern glare from his father made him change his mind. The two of us exchanged a frown across the table - we didn't want to sit back and do nothing.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Mrs Weasley said, standing and beckoning us all up, "Off to bed with all of you!"

"Mum, you can't tell us to go to bed anymore - we're 18." George complained.

Seemingly recognising defeat, one by one the Weasley's and Hermione stood from the table and started to slowly trudge out of the kitchen. Harry and I glanced at our fathers, who both raised their eyebrows at us. Sighing, the two of us also recognised defeat and followed the others out.

"They barely told us anything," Harry grumbled to me quietly, eyeing Mrs Weasley warily from where she was ushering the others up the stairs in front of us.

"You should be happy, it's more than I've gotten all summer." I shrugged, but he was right. I knew there was much more they weren't telling us.

We stayed silent until we reached the landing below where my bedroom was, Harry pausing outside the room he shared with Ron.

"Sorry for, you know...yelling earlier," he said sheepishly.

"It's fine," I smiled reassuringly, "You had a right to be pissed - but you have to know I really was vouching for you the whole time."

He smiled back, "I believe you. And I'm happy to see you."

I shrugged, my eyes twinkling playfully, "Eh, I suppose I missed you a little."

He rolled his eyes as he opened the door, heading into the room as I made my way up the stairs. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the answers we'd been given, but it was more than I had gotten until now so it would have to do for now. The fact that the Ministry was doing everything they could to keep this quiet bothered me to no end, people needed to know so they could protect themselves. As I got ready for bed my eyes drifted over to that ever-daunting pile of letters on my desk. How many of them knew the real truth?


	20. Bittersweet

The next several days passed much quicker than any days had so far this summer. Mrs Weasley was determined to always keep us busy to stop us from seeing too many goings on of the Order - often finding random tasks for us to do like cleaning out old cupboards my dad and I had never really touched. He tried to keep away from anything that reminded him of his estranged family that used to live here - he and my mother had practically redone the whole house when he'd inherited it before I was born just to try and wipe the horrors of the past clean. But of course, Mrs Weasley managed to find the spots they'd missed or hadn't gotten to.

We tried to spy as much as possible in between the jobs and take part in general tomfoolery to make up for the time missed. My dad vowed to remove all furniture from the house when the twins and I continued the couch dyeing saga - choosing fluorescent yellow this time, Tonks had matched her hair for the occasion. Fred and George had also been filling me in on their latest project over the summer - Skiving Snackboxes, boxes full of sweets made for the purpose of getting out of classes. We were tempted to try and spike Ron with a Puking Pastie a few times, but Mrs Weasley was watching far too closely to risk it.

The day before Harry's hearing was scheduled the group of us were out in the backyard - the twins had pulled one of the Quaffles out of an old Quidditch set and the boys were tossing it around between them. I was alternating between joining them and lounging in the sun with Ginny and Hermione while Hermione studied. We knew there was an important meeting going on because Mrs Weasley's only instruction for the day had been to 'go out and enjoy the sunshine' - meaning they wanted us out of the house.

"Do you think Harry's nervous?" Ginny asked, tilting her face up into the sun and soaking up the warmth.

"He doesn't need to be," Hermione barely looked up from her book, "There's no way they can expel him."

"I guess," Ginny sighed, "I'd be nervous - especially since he has to go in front of the entire Wizenmagot."

I snorted, "Which is bullshit, they wouldn't be doing that if it was anyone other than Harry."

Mr Weasley had provided us with that particular update the night before, much to everyone's outrage. It was clear the Ministry was doing everything possible to keep Harry from going back to Hogwarts.

I watched my godbrother as he laughed with the others, wondering if he ever had a moment these days where he wasn't worrying about something. I know I didn't feel like I did.

We heard hoots from above us and gazed up to see our owls all returning after we'd let them out to go hunting this morning. They weren't allowed to go out as much as they would have liked, apparently Dumbledore didn't want there to be owls flying around too frequently. I realised as Smudge disappeared back through my window that I still hadn't responded to Blaise's last letter, it had just been so crazy around here the last few days it had slipped my mind.

Thankfully, Malfoy hadn't sent any more letters since everyone had arrived. I was worried they would recognise the owl and start asking questions - and that definitely wasn't a subject I was ready to approach yet.

"Is it weird I'm not as excited to go back to Hogwarts this year?" I asked the two girls.

"No, I understand," Hermione frowned, "Everything is going to be different."

"I don't know," Ginny shrugged, "I'm thinking of it like...Hogwarts is away from the rest of the world, away from all the problems out here. I think we should try and enjoy it while we can."

I nodded thoughtfully. Could I really believe that being at Hogwarts would take us away from it all, or would it just follow right behind us?

"Besides," she turned to me with a wicked grin, "At least we have Quidditch again this year."

I straightened up with a grin, "Holy Merlin you're right! I'd completely forgotten!"

"You better start practicing, Black," George had obviously overheard us, calling over with a teasing grin. "Unless you want Gryffindor to kick your ass again!"

I stuck my tongue out at him, pushing myself off the grass determinedly. "Oh yeah? Let's see you try then!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing the backyard version of Quidditch we'd invented years ago - it was basically the same just without brooms. Hermione refused to participate as usual, even when Fred 'accidentally' almost hit her with a bludger. We were all still laughing when Mrs Weasley stuck her head out and called us inside for dinner. The twins disappeared instantly - the rest of us rolling our eyes before walking down to the kitchen.

"What took you so long?" Fred and George chorused. They were already sitting at the table with their legs kicked up - grinning at us.

"What happened to solidarity?" I asked accusingly, sitting next to George and giggling when Mr Weasley gave their legs a hard whack so they'd take them off the table.

"Walking is becoming too much of a sacrifice - even for you," George winked.

I rolled my eyes, starting on the plate of food Mrs Weasley had placed in front of us.

"I've picked out some clothes for you for tomorrow Harry," the entire table fell silent at Mrs Weasley's statement, and Harry had paled considerably - only managing a small nod in response.

"We'll go around 7, give us some time," James said gently, and Harry forced a smile in return. Only James and Mr Weasley were accompanying him, the two Potter's deciding just to go into work with Mr Weasley.

"You're going to be fine, Harry," Hermione was the only one brave enough to say it, and we all shot him smiles as reassuring as we could to back her up.

Mrs Weasley coughed, trying to break some of the tense air and forced a large smile on her face, "We thought we might take you kids into Diagon Alley tomorrow. It will be much better if you're out and about instead of sitting around here fretting over Harry."

"I'm fine staying here," I shrugged, trying to act indifferent.

Ron snorted, "Why? In case you run into someone you're ignoring?"

I glared haughtily at him as the others all tried to cover their laughter, and I felt especially betrayed when I noticed my dad, Remus and James all hiding smiles as well.

"What's the bet they just want us away from the house for some reason tomorrow?" George murmured to me quietly once the table had returned to normal conversation.

I frowned, "Maybe - but what though?"

He shrugged, keeping his gaze off mine so not to alert anyone else to our conversation. "Maybe whatever secret weapon You-Know-Who has they won't tell us about."

"What are you whispering about?" I jumped a little at Fred's question, looking past his brother to see him watching us suspiciously.

"Ah drat." George deadpanned. "Our scandalous affair has been caught out."

I almost choked on the potato I'd just put in my mouth as I burst into laughter at the absolutely horrified look on Fred's face - before he shot George a glare and told him that it wasn't funny as he also roared with laughter.

As Ron - never wanting to be the one to miss the joke - started questioning what the hell was so funny I felt eyes on me and met my father's gaze. He was smiling softly at me, only shooting me a small wink when I raised an eyebrow questioningly. I smiled to myself as I looked away again, I knew he was just happy that I looked so happy.

We all went to bed relatively early, considering Harry had to get up at practically the crack of dawn. I stayed up for a while, not being able to calm my nerves. I had been putting on a brave face for him, but I was terrified that they may keep him from Hogwarts. I don't know what I would do without him there by my side. Not rarely for lately, I found myself staring at all my letters - my fingers almost itching to open them. But like always I stopped myself, Harry needed my complete focus right now.

Despite my persistent protests, Mrs Weasley held firm on her plan to boot us all out of the house to Diagon Alley. So, by 11am - Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Remus, my dad and me were all floo'ing directly into the Alley.

George's theory on them wanting us out of the house for Order business had decreased significantly when we found out my dad and Remus were joining us. They would absolutely want to be present for any kind of big meeting, but I also suspected they'd tagged along with us because they knew Mrs Weasley would lose her mind trying to keep us all in line.

Mrs Weasley bustled us all into stores, rambling on about getting a head start on school supplies. I hung back with the twins, the three of us trying to find an opportune time to make our escape to the joke shop around the corner.

We'd taken no more than two steps when my dad and Remus appeared in front of us with smirks plastered on their faces, "Going the wrong way, aren't we?"

The twins slumped in defeat. "Drats," Fred mumbled.

"I knew you were only here to keep us in line," I crossed my arms in annoyance.

"Aw," my dad grinned, pulling me forward and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I just wanted to spend time with you, kid. And yes, also stop you from wandering off and getting yourself in trouble."

"I'm confused," I smirked. "Isn't that what you've always taught me to do?"

Remus snorted back a laugh, only shrugging when my dad shot him a withering glare.

"Let's appease Molly for now, and then maybe we can go somewhere a little more exciting," he smiled down at me knowingly, I rolled my eyes in annoyance but nodded in agreement anyway.

"Do you think there's any chance Harry really will get expelled?" I asked as we hung back from the rest of the group a little.

My dad sighed, "There should be no reason he does - but I do also have no faith in the Ministry these days."

I frowned, "I don't want to go without Harry."

"You won't have to," he said gently, giving me one more tight squeeze before he released me. "I think it will be good for you all, going back - get away from all of this."

"I guess," I said. "Part of me is more nervous to go back than I've ever been."

He chuckled, "You know what may help with that? Opening some of those letters."

I scowled, "I'm getting rather sick of everyone having such a keen interest in my correspondence this summer."

"I know why you're scared," he said gently. "But ignoring it won't make it go away - it will only make you feel worse in the long run. Sometimes facing it and knowing is better than driving yourself mad with your own thoughts."

"I just…" I hesitated at first, but the encouraging smile he gave made me push on. "I've already always felt like I was split in two between them and everyone else. What if…" I trailed off again, a deep frown on my face.

"What if suddenly the sides become a little bit more distinct?" my father finished for me, and I nodded - swallowing down tears I hadn't even realised were forming.

He let out a sigh, "I won't pretend that there is a high chance you may have to decide between people you care about," my heart sank, and he put a hand on my arm to reassure me. "But you also can't think of only the worst-case scenario - you never know, maybe people will surprise you."

I nodded, letting his words sink in. He gave my arm one more squeeze, and I smiled gratefully at him before we re-joined the others.

I took in what he had said carefully. I knew that he was right - I had to have faith in the people I cared about, that they would be strong enough to make the right choices.

* * *

Finally, around an hour later - the twins and I were heading joyously back towards the Leaky Cauldron from the joke shop after Mrs Weasley finally relented and let us go. She had given us ten minutes exactly and said if we hadn't met back with them by then they would leave without us. This didn't bother the twins much since they could Apparate, but I didn't really fancy being left behind. Even if I doubted she really would.

We were just rounding the corner when I jumped as a hand reached out and took a hold of my arm, and I whirled around and stared in shock when I realised it was Tracey Davis.

"Davis?"

"I am so unbelievably mad at you!" she snapped back accusingly, barely sparing a glance at the twins who had stopped a couple of steps away when they'd realised I wasn't next to them anymore.

"Go on," I looked at them briefly. "I'll be there in a minute."

They frowned but gave me a small nod, reminding me we didn't have long before we had to go before they continued towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well?" Tracey demanded; arms crossed as she glared at me. "What do you have to say for yourself? Ignoring all of us like that!"

I flushed a little in shame, "I know, I'm sorry. It's just been a crazy summer…"

"You think I don't know that?" she raised an eyebrow, not appeased by my weak explanation. "Don't you think that I out of everyone would understand how complicated this is?"

I suddenly felt a little guilty, looking at her apologetically - she was right. Tracey was a half-blood, if anyone was going to understand the fear and confusion I was feeling it would be her. She might have felt just as unsure about her place in all this than I did.

"You're right, I am sorry Davis."

She finally relaxed, letting out a sigh. "It's whatever - you're just lucky Zabini ran into Lillian and told her you weren't actually dead. Did you know Daphne is threatening to send you a Howler?"

I rolled my eyes, "I know - Blaise told me."

Tracey smirked, "She really will do it, you know."

I looked back at her hopefully, "Or...you could just tell everyone you saw me and I'm perfectly fine?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Do I look like an owl to you?"

"Please," I begged, pleading with my eyes for her to understand. She held her glare for a few moments, before letting out a sigh - seemingly knowing why I was so determined to avoid this.

"Fine, but all I'm going to say is I saw you and you aren't dead. It's out of my control if Greengrass decides that isn't good enough."

I gave her a grateful smile, "Thank you."

She shrugged, "Whatever, I still think you're being a daft bitch."

We both laughed, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved as we did.

I turned to see the others were just emerging from the Leaky and gave Tracey one more smile.

"I have to go - I'll see you in a couple of weeks!"

"Answer your bloody letters!" she yelled after me, and I shook my head with a laugh as I raced away from her.

"Alright?" my dad asked with a smile when I reached them, and I smiled back.

"Maybe you were right."

"Ah," his eyes twinkled, "I usually am."

I scoffed, but still wasn't able to keep the smile off my face as we headed home – hopefully to hear good news about Harry.

We had only just floo'd into the kitchen when we heard the front door open and footsteps racing down the hall towards us and Harry appeared in the doorway, his grin giving him away before he even said anything.

"Cleared of all charges!"

The relief washed over me instantly, and I threw myself at him in a tight hug.

"I knew it!" Ron was punching the air as we pulled away, "You always get away with stuff!"

"They were bound to clear you," Hermione said, moving forward to hug him in relief next. "There was never a case against you."

James had made his way over to my dad and Remus, who were clapping him on the back in congratulations. Mrs Weasley was wiping her face on her apron and I couldn't help but laugh as George, Fred and Ginny started dancing around the kitchen chanting _'He got off, he got off, he got off…'_

"Settle down you lot!" Mr Weasley scolded them, but even he was grinning. "Listen Sirius – Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry-"

"What?" my father responded sharply, and I felt my gut twist at the name.

_"He got off, he got off, he got off…"_

I exchanged a laugh with Harry, the two of us starting to clap and stomp along with the chant.

"Be quiet!" Mr Weasley tried again. "He was with Fudge on Level 9, and then they went up to his office together. Dumbledore ought to know."

"Yes," my dad nodded, "We'll tell him, don't worry."

"I need to get going – Molly I'll be late; I'm covering for Tonks. James - did Kingsley say he would drop by tonight?"

James nodded, and Mr Weasley said his hasty goodbyes before leaving the kitchen again.

_"He got off, he got off, he got off…"_

"That's enough!" Mrs Weasley said, "Harry come and have some lunch, you barely ate this morning." I bumped his shoulder with mine happily as the two of us sat down at the table. Ron and Hermione sat down opposite us, not being able to keep the grins off their faces either. This was the most relaxed everyone had felt since we'd been together, and I was glad for it.

"Of course, once Dumbledore turned up there was no way they'd convict you." Ron said happily, dishing food onto all our plates.

"Yeah," Harry didn't sound as thrilled as I thought he might, and I snuck a suspicious look at him. "He swung it for me." My eyes widened when his hand suddenly flew to his scar.

"Harry?"

It didn't seem like anyone else in the kitchen had noticed – not even our dads. The other three were still singing which was causing quite the distraction across the room.

"It's fine," he mumbled, looking between the three of us and brushing off our concern. "Happens all the time now."

And just as quickly as it had come the feeling of ease left me once more. Harry's scar hurting all the time was not fine.

_"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF…"_

"SHUT UP!" roared Mrs Weasley.

* * *

Our booklists didn't arrive until the very last day of the holiday. We'd all started getting a bit worried, they usually came far earlier. I was with Hermione and Ginny in the room they shared, watching them both start on their packing and putting off my own when the owls came in through the window. I opened the envelope, pulling out the booklist and quickly scanning for any new additions.

There were only two: 'The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5' by Miranda Goshawk and 'Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkhard. We had been curious to who our Defence professor was going to be this year – Fred and George had told me they'd overheard Mr and Mrs Weasley talking about how Dumbledore was struggling to find someone to take the job this year. It made sense; the last few years hadn't had the best track record.

I jumped as Hermione suddenly let out a loud screech of excitement and turned to her with wide eyes as she jumped up and down excitedly.

"I know you like books Granger, but this is a little extreme."

She didn't even care enough to glare at me, simply clutching a letter to her chest and holding up a shiny red and gold badge for Ginny and me to see. "I made Prefect! Oh – I _hoped_ I would, but you just never know! I can't believe it!"

I snorted, not in the least bit surprised, Ginny seeming like she shared my sentiment – the two of us exchanging an amused smile. "I can, there's no other fifth year who deserves it more than you." I had all but forgotten once we hit fifth year and above there was a chance of us becoming Prefect, with everything else going on I don't know how Hermione had found the time to be thinking about it. But I wasn't overly surprised that she had been either.

She turned to me with shining eyes, "Did you check your envelope?"

My eyes widened, "Me?"

"Yes!" she sounded exasperated. I rolled my eyes, glancing down into the envelope again if only to appease her – before my mouth dropped open as I too pulled out a shiny badge, only mine was green and silver.

"I knew it!"

I was still staring at the badge in slight shock, the thought of me being a Prefect had never even crossed my mind. But surprisingly – I found that I wasn't completely appalled at the idea.

"Come on, surely Harry has opened his letter by now too! I just know he's the other Gryffindor one!" Hermione was already racing out the door, and I scrambled to keep up with her.

"I can't believe they made _me_ a Prefect."

Hermione waved me off, "Oh, don't be so surprised! You're right at the top of the class, plus being on the Quidditch team, and everything you've done with us over the years…even if you do get in a bit of trouble sometimes you were practically guaranteed."

We burst into the boy's room, and I noticed Fred and George were already present – standing over near Ron and looking at their brother like he'd grown a second head.

"Did you – did you get-?" Hermione looked to Harry breathlessly, who was in fact holding a shiny badge identical to hers.

"I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No," Harry said rather shortly, my eyebrows raising in surprise as he pushed the badge towards Ron. "It's Ron, not me."

I couldn't stop the laughter bursting out of me, "You're joking?"

"That's what we said," Fred muttered, shaking his head in disbelief – their expressions now perfectly clear to me.

"Ron?" Hermione sounded appalled, only making containing my laughter even more difficult at the offended look on Ron's face. "Are you sure?"

"It's my name on the letter," the ginger replied defiantly.

"I…well…I…well done Ron. That's really…"

"Unexpected?" George filled in.

"Thanks for the confidence, you gits." Ron mumbled, looking considerably put out that all of us had reacted the way we had.

"Well," I shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to make a big deal of it but wanting to get it out there as soon as possible. "Now I don't feel as shocked about me becoming one if they've decided to make you one too, Ronald."

Fred and George's mouths dropped open, and if possible Harry's expression grew even more sour.

"This is treason at its highest form," George shook his head.

"How could you betray us like this?" Fred echoed his horror, and I rolled my eyes.

"I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle, boys."

"How so?" they chorused, still staring at me slightly suspiciously.

"Just think of all the blind eyes I can turn to your shenanigans," I smirked, tossing the badge up in the air and catching it again with a wink.

"Cassie!"

The twins ignored Hermione's horrified gasp, breaking into grins.

"She's right-"

"-we take it back."

"No!" Hermione protested again, "You have to take it seriously, Cassie! It's a privilege!"

I rolled my eyes again, already thinking about all the detentions I planned to give to cows like Gorgia Avery and Marietta Edgecombe all year long.

Any further reprimand from Hermione was avoided as Mrs Weasley came bustling in with a laundry basket full of clothes. "Ginny said the booklists had finally arrived," she glanced at all the envelopes as she made her way around the room. "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron – I'll have to get you some new pyjamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing…what colour would you like?"

I exchanged a smirk with the twins, "Get him red and gold to match his badge," George remarked.

"Match his what?" Mrs Weasley only vaguely heard him.

"His badge, his lovely shiny new _prefect's_ badge," Fred grinned.

Mrs Weasley blinked, looking between all of us like she was waiting for one of us to chime in with a punchline until Ron finally held up his badge with a grumpy sigh.

She shrieked just as loudly as Hermione had.

"OH! I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"

"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?" George asked, the twins looking suddenly affronted as I giggled at their expense.

Mrs Weasley pushed them aside so she could hug Ron, continuing to sing his praises and exclaim how proud she was as the twins started making dramatic retching actions behind her.

"Hermione's one too," George said loudly, and Ron let out a sigh of relief as his mother released him to hug Hermione next. George's gaze moved over to me cheekily, and I glared at him in warning.

"So's Cassie."

"Oh! This is all just so wonderful!" Mrs Weasley was hugging me next, and I hugged her back while glaring at the sniggering twins over her shoulder.

"Mum!" Ron was as red as his badge now, "Get a grip…"

She pulled away from me, looking back at Ron beaming with pride. "Well, what will it be then? We got Percy an owl – but you've already got one of course."

"W-what do you mean?" Ron frowned in confusion, like he was too afraid to believe what he was hearing.

"You've got to have a reward for this! How about a nice new set of dress robes?"

"We already bought him some," Fred grumbled in annoyance, and I gave the twins an exaggerated pout that made them stick their tongues out back at me.

"Or a new cauldron, Charlie's old one is rusting through, or a new rat, you always liked Scabbers-"

"Mum?" Ron perked up hopefully, "Could I have a new broom?"

I felt bad for them both as Mrs Weasley's face fell a little, broomsticks were expensive.

"Not a really good one!" Ron added hastily, obviously noticing as well. "Just…a new one for a change…"

Mrs Weasley hesitated, but then smiled. "Of course, you can…well I'd better get going if I've got a broom to buy too. I'll see you all later…oh, don't you forget to tell your father and the others Cassie! Little Ronnie…a prefect."

She gave Ron one more kiss on the cheek before bustling out of the room with a loud sniff.

"Oh Ronnikins!" Fred exclaimed in a high-pitched tone, "I just can't believe it!"

"Ickle Ronnie!" George continued in the same tone, "A prefect!"

"Shut up," Ron scowled at them.

"Or, what?" Fred smirked, "Going to put us in detention?"

"I'd love to see him try."

"He could!" Hermione said angrily, and even I rolled my eyes at her as the twins only laughed harder.

"We're going to have to watch our step George-"

"-yeah, with these two on our case it looks like our law-breaking days are finally over."

"Nah," Fred's eyes twinkled as he looked over at me, "Cass has our back, she'll never let us get put in detention."

"Stop it!" Hermione practically stomped, "This is supposed to be taken seriously!"

I simply gave the twins one more wink before they Disapparated with a loud 'crack'.

"Ugh!" Hermione continued to complain as we now heard the twin's laughter echoing down from above us, "Those two! Don't worry Ron, they're just jealous."

I snorted, "That's not likely."

Ron gazed up at the ceiling, looking like he agreed with me. "They've always said only prats become prefects…still," he perked up again, "They've never had new brooms. Maybe I'll go tell Mum I like the new Cleansweep, that one's not too bad…yeah I'll go tell her…"

He dashed out of the room, leaving me and Hermione with Harry – who I realised had barely said a word since we'd come into the room. He was sitting on his bed staring pointedly down at the floor with his hands clenched on the bed next to him, and my eyes immediately narrowed. If he was really going to be selfish enough not to be happy for his friends just because he didn't get to be prefect I was going to be pissed.

"Harry?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Well done, all of you," he finally said, still not looking up. "Brilliant, really great."

I continued to glare at him as Hermione shifted a little awkwardly.

"Thanks, erm…could I borrow Hedwig to tell Mum and Dad? They'll be really pleased."

"Sure," Harry bit out, and Hermione quickly scuffled out of the room once Hedwig landed on her arm.

A thick silence hung over the room, Harry continuing to stew angrily in silence. I rolled my eyes, heading for the door and glancing back at him.

"Are you coming down or not?"

He let out a grunt in response, the two of us walking down in stony silence. I took calming breaths as we went, I understood why he might feel a little left out or upset – so I would let him sulk for now, but not forever.

We found Ron in the kitchen already, talking animatedly to our fathers and Remus who all had bemused smiles on their faces.

"See!" Ron exclaimed as we walked in, and I tossed my green and silver badge at my dad with an amused smirk, "I told you I wasn't lying!"

I pretended to be offended as my dad examined the badge in his hand with raised eyebrows, "How could you think he was lying?"

"Oh, I always hoped you'd take after me," Remus grinned as he was the first to hug me.

"Are you awfully disappointed in me?" I pouted towards my dad as I hugged him back.

He shot me a wink, "Pack your bags, young lady."

I laughed as Remus released me, walking over and letting my dad pull me into a tight hug.

"I am proud of you kid, you deserve it," he murmured, pressing a loving kiss to my head that made me smile happily into his chest.

"Maybe she'll take after me next," James grinned, "Become Head Girl."

I looked at him with wide eyes as I pulled away from my dad, "Don't let Hermione hear you say that – she'll have my head."

We all laughed at that, and my gaze drifted to where Harry was leaning against the wall still looking sour.

"Are you done sulking yet?" I scowled at him before I could stop myself, and he glared back at me.

"I'm not sulking."

I snorted, "Right, because you just look absolutely thrilled for us over there."

"It's fine," Ron tried to protest, but I shook my head.

"It's not – are you seriously so self-centred you can't just be happy for Ron and Hermione? Merlin forbid they actually achieve something that has nothing to do with you…"

"Hey!" Ron frowned, looking a little offended before my withering glare shut him up again.

"I am happy for them!" Harry protested angrily.

"Then act like it! Did you ever think maybe Dumbledore knows you have more important things to worry about than being a Prefect?" I raised an eyebrow. He glared back at me for a moment, before slumping a little as he realised I was right – actually having the sense to look a little guilty as he looked over at Ron.

"I really am happy for you, well done mate."

Ron seemed relieved, the two of them falling into conversation about Ron's new broom.

"Little harsh?" my dad muttered to me, but I knew he wasn't really mad at me. They probably thought Harry was being a selfish git too.

"Got the message across," I responded flippantly, and he chuckled before handing me my badge back with one more wink.

I smiled at him in thanks, examining the badge in my hand again. Prefect. This really was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

Mrs Weasley arrived back around 6 and informed us all we'd be having a little party to celebrate and send us off back to school. As the group of us came down into the kitchen there was a banner hanging over the table that read:

_CONGRATULATIONS RON, HERMIONE AND CASSIE_   
_NEW PREFECTS_

Mrs Weasley looked in the best mood I'd seen since she'd arrived.

"Your father and Bill are on the way Ron. I've sent them both owls and they are thrilled!"

Fred rolled his eyes with a scowl and I elbowed him lightly in the ribs, cheekily mouthing 'behave' at him when he looked down at me. He winked back at me and I laughed, shoving him forward into the room.

My dad, James, Remus, Tonks and Kingsley were already around the table, and Moody stumbled in just as we were helping ourselves to some Butterbeer.

His magical eye swivelled from the banner to us as he grabbed his own drink, "Prefects, eh? Congratulations – authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes, or he wouldn't have appointed you."

I laughed as Ron looked suddenly paler, not sure how to respond. He was saved by the arrival of Mr Weasley and Bill – and Mrs Weasley was in such a good mood she didn't even seem bothered that they'd brought Mundungus with them.

"Well, I think a toast is in order," Mr Weasley beamed once everyone had a drink, and I slunk down a little in my seat. This kind of attention had always been Harry's forte, not mine. "To our new prefects!"

Ron and Hermione beamed as everyone drank, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Fred and George were sniggering into their cups as they watched my reaction, only laughing more at the glare I sent their way.

"I was never a prefect myself," Tonks remarked as everyone made their way to the table piled with food, "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" Ginny asked.

"Like the ability to behave myself."

The twins and I laughed as Hermione subsequently choked on the potato she had just put in her mouth, Ginny starting to dutifully pat her on the back.

"What about you guys?" she turned to the three Marauders.

My dad barked out a laugh, "No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention. Lupin was the good boy – he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise control over my best friends," Remus said with a wistful smile, "I need scarcely say I failed miserably."

"Maybe that's why Dumbledore chose me for Head Boy in the end," James grinned cheekily, "You failed him, Moony."

Remus only laughed, "I'll never forget Lily's face the day you walked into that compartment with the Head Boy badge."

I saw Harry perk up a little, and I smiled softly as I watched the reminiscent smiles cross all of their faces.

"She knew she was stuck with me for good then," James said fondly.

"Ah yes," my dad smirked, "The only way you ever could get her to spend time with you was when it was forced."

We all laughed as James shoved my father away from him, and I exchanged a happy smile with Harry. We had always loved hearing the little bits of the past they would share from time to time. It made us feel that much closer to our mothers.

For the first time all summer it felt almost like it had in previous years. Although there were new faces in the room it felt like they had been here all along, conversation and laughter flowing freely like just for a moment, we had no worries in the world.

Ron was rhapsodising about his new broom to anyone who would listen.

"…nought to seventy in ten seconds, not bad is it? When you think the Comet Two Ninety's only nought to sixty and that's with a decent tailwind according to Which Broomstick…"

Hermione was still going on about her elf rights movement, and Remus had become her unfortunate victim this evening. Though in true Remus style, he listened to her rant with a passive look on her face – nodding every few moments to keep her appeased.

I could vaguely hear Mrs Weasley start to lecture Bill on his hair for the thousandth time as I sought out the twins, seeing them huddled quite suspiciously in a corner with Mundungus and made my way over sneakily. I noticed Harry sliding away from Mrs Weasley with wide eyes, spotting me and joining me on my way to the twins.

Mundungus stopped talking when he spotted us, but Fred waved him on.

"It's ok, we can trust these two. Harry's our financial backer and Cass is our third musketeer."

"Look what Dung's got us," George held out his hands, which was full of what looked like shrivelled up black pods. A quiet rattling noise was coming from them, even though they weren't moving in the slightest. 'Venomous Tentacula seeds, we need them for the Snackboxes but they're a Class C Non-Tradeable Substance, so we've been having a bit of trouble getting hold of them."

I raised my eyebrows a little in surprise, I hadn't expected this latest business venture to become so risky for them.

"Ten galleons for the lot then, Dung?"

"Wiv all the trouble I went through to get 'em?" Mundungus grunted, "Sorry lads, I ain't taking any less than twenty."

My eyes narrowed instantly, and the withering look the twins exchanged let me know this wasn't the first time Dung had done this to them.

"Be careful," Harry whispered, his eyes moving warily back towards Mrs Weasley. I gathered he didn't really want to risk her wrath when she found out he'd been the one to finance the twins' new project.

"It's fine, she's too busy fawning over Ronnie the prefect," George dismissed Harry's worries easily.

"Moody could be watching you though," I said, my steeled gaze focused on Mundungus – who's eyes instantly widened in fear.

"Good point, that. Alright lads, ten it is if you'll take 'em quick!"

Fred and George winked at me in delight before they rushed off upstairs to hide their new loot, Harry watching them go with a slightly uneasy look on his face.

"Don't worry," I said, nudging him gently. "By the time Mrs Weasley finds out the money came from you, the twins will be so successful she won't even care."

"I hope so," he grimaced, before giving me an apologetic smile. "I really am proud of you guys; you all deserve it."

I smiled back at him, "Thanks, but I'm still not sure Dumbledore knows what he's doing by giving me this kind of power."

Harry snorted, "Yeah, that was definitely something he'll regret."

He only laughed when I whacked him on the arm, the two of us re-joining the party side-by-side.

* * *

I was exhausted the next morning. Dreams had plagued me again like every night this summer, but last night's had been especially haunting – probably because of the anxiety I was feeling from returning to school today and having to face my housemates.

I was one of the first to come downstairs, just finishing my coffee in the dining room when I heard a loud commotion from the stairs – followed by a groan of pain and Mrs Weasley yelling at the top of her lungs.

"-COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS!"

I risked a peek out into the stairwell and winced when I saw Ginny being helped up from the ground by her mother and the twins standing at the top of the landing looking sheepish – their trunks at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently they had bewitched them to fly downstairs so they wouldn't have to carry them, knocking Ginny down two flights of stairs in the process.

"You know," I commented as my dad came to peer over my shoulder warily. "I'm glad you can't Apparate within Hogwarts – I think the school population is much safer for it."

"Well, I'm hoping Molly will be doing much less yelling after you've all gone," my dad responded, and I nodded in agreement.

The trip to Kings Cross turned out to be quite the group affair – with Moody and Tonks tagging along for extra protection. We went in separate groups too as Moody didn't want to risk anyone following us. So, Harry went with his father, Mrs Weasley, Tonks and Ron while Hermione and Moody came with me and my dad, Mr Weasley and Remus bringing the twins and Ginny just after us.

"No trouble?" Moody growled around at everyone, receiving all no's– making him nod in satisfaction. It had all seemed a bit excessive to me, but I also understood where his worry was coming from.

A loud whistle sounded – alerting us that the train wasn't far off departing, and everyone scrambled to say quick goodbyes. Moody warning us to keep alert and be careful what we put in letters, Tonks saying she'd see us all soon and Mrs Weasley fussing over all of us one more time.

I hugged Remus tightly, who told me to be careful before I'm sure saying the same to Harry when he hugged him next.

"Try to keep him out of trouble, yeah?" James murmured to me as he hugged me, and I pulled back with a smirk.

"I always try, he just makes it difficult."

James chuckled, ruffling my hair before moving to hug his son.

I smiled sadly at my dad, who let out a sigh before pulling me close. "I'll miss you," I said.

"I'll miss you too, try and enjoy yourself alright? But don't do anything stupid either, stay smart."

"I promise," I whispered as we pulled back, and he pressed one more kiss to the top of my head before releasing me.

We all boarded the train quickly, waving out the windows until they were all out of sight – and I exchanged a comforting smile with Harry, squeezing his hand briefly in assurance. The twins dashed off straight away to go find Lee, Harry turning to us.

"Should we go find a compartment, then?"

"We're supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said hesitantly, and I made sure to glare warningly at Harry so he wouldn't go off again.

"Oh," he said, a frown dropping onto his face. "Right. Fine."

"I doubt it will take the whole journey," Ron said quickly, "We're just supposed to get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors every so often."

"It's fine," Harry sighed, forcing a smile on his face. "I'll probably see you later, then."

Hermione gave him a grateful smile, the two of us starting down the carriages as Ron hovered back for a moment.

"He'll get over it eventually," I commented to Hermione, "Once he realises all we do is boring things like patrol."

"It is odd Dumbledore didn't give it to him though, don't you think?" she asked me curiously, but I just shrugged.

"I still reckon it's because he knows Harry doesn't need the extra stress."

We heard huffing from behind us as Ron jogged to catch up, looking much more relaxed than he had before.

"I think he's really alright with it now."

"Good," I frowned, glancing back at him over my shoulder. "I was going to whack him upside the head if he didn't stop being such a selfish prat soon."

"Speaking of selfish prats," Ron was scowling at something in front of us as we reached the entrance for the prefect carriage. I turned back around in confusion, only to let out a groan when I saw a familiar smug looking blonde already seated in the carriage.

Of fucking course.

Draco Malfoy was the other Slytherin prefect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: DRACO'S BACK! And Cass is prefect hehe - I wonder how that's going to work out. SO glad you guys are enjoying so far, til next time :)


	21. Reunions

"I knew it was too good to be true," I stated as the three of us stepped into the carriage, fixing Malfoy with a glare. "Every time something good happens to me you always manage to ruin it."

He let out a mock gasp, eyes trained on me as I moved to the seat next to him, "Now that's a lie and you know it, Black."

His gaze drifted to Ron and Hermione as they sat on the opposite side of the carriage, both glaring at him the entire time. "Did Potter finally manage to off himself over break then? Can't see why you would be here instead of him otherwise, Weasley."

I elbowed him in the side, shooting him a warning look as Ron let out an angry growl. Unfortunately, this now drew his full attention back to me – and as my eyes met his it dawned on me that this was the first time we'd spoken since the end of school last year, and I'd just spent an entire summer ignoring him. As I got my first proper look at him I noticed he'd grown just like Ron and Harry had over the summer, and that his hair was a little longer and he hadn't styled it as much as he used to. I was thankful for the arrival of the Head Boy and Girl that made me turn away from him before my cheeks started to flush. Damn him, he looked good.

I made sure to pointedly keep my attention focused on the Head Boy and Girl as they started to address us, trying to ignore his gaze continually falling on me.

"So," he murmured after a while, slinging his arm across the back of the bench behind me casually - smirking when I tensed up a little at the action. "You ignored me all summer."

"Not just you, don't feel too special." I shot back quietly.

"Oh, I know," he continued undeterred. "You realise you missed Greengrass's birthday, by the way?"

My eyes widened. Daphne's birthday was the 31st, the last day of term – and she always held a dinner with all of us to celebrate. The invitation must have been in one of her letters that I never opened. Daphne Greengrass took her birthday very seriously, and I had a feeling she would not let go that I wasn't in attendance for quite a while.

" _Fuck_ , I completely forgot," I whispered in horror, finally looking up at him. "How pissed is she?"

He frowned, "Aren't you the least bit worried at how pissed at you I am for ignoring me?"

I smirked before I could help myself, enjoying how easy falling back into this pattern with him was. "Not really."

He let out a scoff, falling silent again. I risked sneaky glances at him a couple more times, even though I hadn't seen him in months being this close to him again was reminding me of everything I'd felt last year.

"It wasn't because of you," I said softly before I could stop myself, and he raised an eyebrow but kept his gaze focused forwards. "I promised myself no more distractions."

His smirk returned, eyes glinting as he glanced at me again. "Am I distracting for you, Black?"

"Incredibly." I sighed, turning in my seat to let him know the conversation was over – not being able to wipe the stupid smile off my face for the rest of the meeting.

I made a beeline for Ron and Hermione as soon as the meeting ended, not giving him a chance to say anything else. The three of us set off in search of Harry - Hermione rattling on to Ron about all the things he had to be prepared to do this year, Ron already looking exhausted at the thought of it.

I found I couldn't shake Malfoy from my thoughts – much like I hadn't been able to all summer. Even though I had spent all this time ignoring him it was like no time had passed at all since our last conversation, and most surprisingly I found that I was glad for it. I pulled myself back to reality when we found Harry in a compartment with Ginny, Neville and a blonde girl I didn't recognise.

"I'm starving," Ron exclaimed, throwing himself into the seat next to Harry and grabbing a Chocolate Frog from the pile on the table.

"There are two fifth-year prefects from each year," Hermione felt the need to explain as the two of us sat across from them.

"Guess who Cassie's co-prefect is?" Ron snorted, now leaning against the seat with his eyes closed.

Harry scowled immediately, "Malfoy?"

"Course," Ron muttered bitterly, and I felt a sudden rush of defensiveness course through me.

"I don't know why you're surprised," I shrugged, trying to keep my tone indifferent. "He's just as qualified for it as me, I knew it was going to be either him or Theodore." I hadn't actually even thought about it, but as I said it I realised just how much sense it made. I knew his grades were just as high as mine or Hermione's, even if he tried to hide how smart he was most of the time.

"Doesn't mean he's not an arse," was all Ron said in response, and I was relieved none of them noticed that I was practically defending Malfoy.

"Who are the rest?" Harry asked.

"Ernie MacMillan and Hannah Abbott for Hufflepuff, and Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," Hermione filled in.

I scowled, "Just terrible choices honestly – MacMillan _and_ Patil? Could they have chosen anyone worse?"

"Harry went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil."

We all turned at the vague voice, and I raised an eyebrow when I realised it came from the strange blonde girl in the corner.

"Yeah," Harry blinked. "I know I did."

"She didn't enjoy it very much. She doesn't think you treated her very well because you wouldn't dance with her."

I glanced at Hermione in confusion, "Who is that?" I asked her quietly, and she rolled her eyes slightly as she replied.

"Luna Lovegood."

Ah, so _this_ was Loony Lovegood.

Everyone stared at her in silent shock as she went back to her magazine as if she'd never said anything at all, Ginny had her fist in her mouth to stop herself from giggling.

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron said to Harry and Neville as he checked his watch, "And we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe or Goyle for something…"

I grinned, "Me either, there are so many people on my list…"

"You're not supposed to abuse your position!" Hermione said sharply.

"Right," Ron scoffed, "Because Malfoy won't abuse it at all."

"Maybe that's why Dumbledore chose Cassie, then!" Hermione protested, and I looked at her in confusion. "He probably knows she's the only one who'll keep him in line."

"What?" I sputtered out, eyes wide, "Malfoy doesn't listen to me, Hermione – you're insane." I glanced nervously around the compartment, hoping no one else held her statement to any merit – but thankfully no one seemed to pay her comment much mind.

Ron only snorted, "Like Cass won't be doing it right alongside him anyway."

I winked at him in response, making Hermione let out another exasperated sigh.

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him – he hates writing. " Ron grinned, hunching over and doing quite a good impression of Goyle. " _I…must…not…look…like…a…baboon's…backside._ "

We all burst into laughter, Ron looking quite chuffed with himself as we did so. We all drifted off as Luna Lovegood was suddenly screeching with laughter, making the owls in the room flutter their wings and Crookshanks to jump off Hermione's lap. I exchanged a concerned look with Harry as she continued to laugh so hard the magazine she'd been reading fell off her lap.

"That was _funny!_ "

Ron looked a little skeptical, "Are you taking the mickey?"

"Everyone's right when they call her loony then," I muttered to Harry, who gave me a slightly warning look to tell me to be nice, but didn't look like he disagreed fully either.

She was still laughing, the rest of us mostly laughing at the utterly perplexed look on Ron's face now – he still couldn't figure out if she really had found it funny or not.

I sat back in my seat, glancing at Harry as he picked up the magazine Luna had dropped – flicking through the pages with a frown as Luna finally managed to calm herself down.

"Anything good in there?" I asked him when he'd closed it again.

"Of course not," Hermione said snootily, "The Quibbler's rubbish – everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," Luna suddenly sounded cold, "My father's the editor."

Hermione flushed, "I…well…it's got some interesting…"

"I'll have it back, thank you," Luna snapped, bringing the magazine back up to her face – letting us know she would no longer be contributing to any conversation.

"Nice one, Hermione." I rolled my eyes as Hermione continued to look sheepish.

"Do you reckon-" Ron didn't finish before the compartment door opened again, and I let out a small groan when I saw the familiar blonde smirking in the doorway – flanked by Crabbe and Goyle like usual. I knew he wouldn't let me get away with ignoring him for much longer.

"What?" Harry hissed, glaring ferociously at him.

"Manners, Potter – or I'll have to give you a detention." Malfoy drawled, eyes flicking to me briefly before resuming staring tauntingly at Harry. "You see, I – unlike you – have been made a prefect, which means that I – unlike you – have the power to hand out punishments."

I rolled my eyes, I gathered these were the kind of interactions I was going to be dealing with the whole bloody year.

"Yeah," Harry responded icily, "But you – unlike me – are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

The rest of the compartment laughed, and I moved to stand up – knowing this would only get worse the longer he stayed and that he was only going to leave if I did.

"Tell me," Malfoy sneered, his lip curling in anger. "How does it feel to be second-best to Weasley for once, Potter?"

"Shut up," Hermione said sharply, but I was one step ahead of her.

"Come on," I gave him a little push, shooting a reassuring look to the compartment behind me. "Let's go patrol."

"Apparently I touched a nerve," Malfoy smirked at them before he followed me out, slamming the door closed behind him.

I shot him a disappointed glare as we walked to let him know I was not pleased with what had just happened, but he merely rolled his eyes. Why couldn't he just leave Harry be for once?

"Where should we patrol then?" I asked shortly, pointedly turning away from him again.

"We're almost there," he said flippantly, and I frowned in confusion.

"Almost where?"

He smirked, "There's quite a few people who are keen to see you, Black."

I stopped, my eyes going wide as I shook my head at him. "No."

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked in annoyance.

I didn't reply, biting my lip as my gut twisted with that all too familiar anxiety.

He let out another frustrated sigh, "Come and see how utterly ridiculous you're being, or I will drag you there myself - and don't think I won't do it."

I forced myself to continue to walk next to him, thinking about what my dad had told me to help propel myself forward. Not knowing would always be worse. I also didn't doubt that he would make me, turning to glare at him defiantly.

"More like you'd make your two goons do it for you."

He snorted, his jaw clenching. "No, I wouldn't let them anywhere near you."

I blinked in surprise, making him smirk smugly down at me when he noticed my reaction.

"Besides, why would I deny myself the pleasure?"

I scowled, "Let's just get wherever we're going so I don't have to be near you anymore."

"See, it's very hard for me to believe that's what you really want when you're still wearing my gift."

I didn't get a chance to retort, trying to ignore the heat that rushed to my cheeks as we reached the door to a compartment and he pulled it open.

I'd barely taken a step inside before arms were thrown tightly around me, and I couldn't help the happy smile on my face when I realised they belonged to my best friend.

"Madi!"

She pulled back, grinning at me just as widely as I was at her, "I missed you bitch!"

"I'm so happy to see you," I pulled her in for another hug, feeling the relief wash over me at seeing her. She was fine, she was here.

"Me too," she said quietly, smiling at me meaningfully when we pulled away again.

Blaise was waiting right behind her, pulling me into a hug as soon as his girlfriend had released me.

"You didn't respond to my last letter," he scolded me, and I shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry, the second half of summer was kind of hectic."

"You have so much explaining to do," Lillian's angry voice cut in before Blaise could reply, and I glanced behind him to see a compartment full of people glaring at me. Lillian, Tracey, Daphne and Theodore occupied one side of the seats, and Madi and Blaise slid back into the other side as I stood awkwardly looking between them – suddenly unsure of how to act around my friends and the anxiety I had been feeling all summer coming back at full force.

"Sit and explain," Theodore ordered. "Now."

I pouted, not too thrilled at being told what to do and holding my ground in defiance. Malfoy let out a scoff, rolling his eyes and pushing me forward until I sat next to Madi before he sat on my other side. I gave him an unamused look, but he wasn't bothered – only raising his eyebrows challengingly back at me and making me turn away with a pout again.

"The whole summer!" Lillian snapped again, "Without one letter! Seriously, what were you thinking?"

I slumped, looking between them all apologetically. "I know, I was such a selfish cow – I'm sorry."

"You definitely were," Daphne huffed from next to the window, making a show of pointedly turning away from me.

"Honestly," Blaise spoke up before I could get my apology to Daphne out, "Did you not take a thing I said to you the last time I wrote seriously?"

"You're just lucky you ran into Davis," Theodore agreed, "And she told us you looked fine – exhausted – but fine."

I glared slightly at Tracey, "Thanks, Davis."

She shrugged indifferently, "You did, like you hadn't slept all summer." Oh, if only she knew.

"I spent my entire summer cut off from everyone," Madi leaned past Blaise to look at me meaningfully, "So I know exactly how it feels – the only difference is I had no choice."

I sighed in defeat, gazing around at all of them again. "You understand why I did it though, don't you?"

"Of course, we do." Blaise said quietly, "But surely you saw all the papers over the summer, I think you realise you're much better off sticking with us this year."

I must have looked offended because Theodore spoke up again.

"People are angry at Potter – most people think he's a liar." he said calmly.

The compartment suddenly became much more tense, and I looked around meaningfully. "You know he isn't though, right?"

"That's the whole point," I was slightly startled when it was Malfoy who spoke, twisting to look up at him as he gazed back at me seriously.

"When are you going to realise that you're one of us, no matter what?" Lillian sighed, and I couldn't help the warm feeling that rushed through my body at her words.

"So, what do we do then?" I asked quietly, a smile finally falling onto my face as the whole compartment seemed to relax a little more.

"We stick together," Blaise said firmly, "Like always."

The whole group nodded in agreement, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face as everyone drifted back into normal conversations – mostly about summer break. Daphne and Lillian had both been abroad for half the summer, Daphne in Spain and Lillian in France. Madi told me how her parents shipped her off to the other side of the country with her grandmother right at the start of July and stopped all her mail, she had just managed to sneak the one letter she'd sent to Blaise and I each.

"If I could, I would never let you go back to that house again," I said angrily once she'd finished, and she gave me a tense smile in return.

"It was terrible, I had no idea if you two were alright – or if you were furious with me."

Blaise shook his head, pressing a soft kiss to her hair. "No, we figured it was out of your control."

"So," Madi lowered her voice a little, "Did we miss anything?"

I shook my head slightly, mouthing a 'later' in response – both of them nodding in agreement.

Daphne let out a sudden loud huff, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I looked over to where she was still pointedly glaring out the window.

"Daphne…" I said, keeping my tone as serious as I could. "I am so sorry I missed your birthday; it was absolutely horrid of me – I'm a terrible friend." I knew the more I sugar-coated it the more likely she would be to forgive me, and I shot Lillian and Tracey a glare as they struggled to contain their giggles at my obvious sucking-up. They would be doing the exact same if it were them.

Daphne simply made another irritated noise, still refusing to look at me.

I let out a pretend disappointed sigh, "Oh, well…I suppose I'll just have to give your very expensive gift to someone else then…"

Theodore had to cough to cover a snort as Daphne immediately whirled to face me – her eyes bright.

"You still got me a gift?"

"Of course," I smiled, "I would never forget your birthday, Daph."

She sat up straighter, apparently satisfied as she finally smiled warmly at me. "Well, I can't wait to receive it."

Normal conversation resumed once again, and I let out a sigh as I slumped back in my seat again.

Blaise was chuckling next to me, "You haven't bought her anything, have you?"

"Not a thing."

Blaise snorted out another laugh as I elbowed him in the ribs to be quiet or he'd give me away, but I wasn't too fussed on my sudden need for a quick present.

I still had my friends, and that's what was most important. I was almost angry at myself for being so worried, I should have known they would stick by me – that's what we did, we stuck by our own.

I tried not to let myself wonder how long it would remain that way though.

* * *

"Where the _hell_ is Hagrid?" I grumbled to no one in particular as we all took our seats in the Great Hall. I knew none of them would particularly care where our gamekeeper was, but he hadn't been there to greet the first years on the platform, and now he was missing from the Head Table – Professor Grubbly-Plank sitting in his place.

"More importantly," Lillian said, not paying attention to my question as expected. "Who's the ugly pink toad?"

We all followed her gaze, noticing a woman who did match her description rather fittingly sitting down at the end of the table next to Snape – who looked like he wanted to be absolutely anywhere else than next to her, as if the excessive amount of pink she was wearing would poison him.

"New defence teacher, I'm presuming." Malfoy drawled from where he had weaselled his way in next to me.

"I swear she works at the Ministry," Theodore frowned, "I think I've seen her before." He would be the one to know, his father did work there.

Malfoy looked up again, studying her a bit closer this time – his eyes sparking in recognition. "You're right, she does."

"Who is she, then?" I asked impatiently.

"Dolores Umbridge, she's the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," he responded carelessly. "My father met her a few times over the summer in his meetings with Fudge."

Blaise let out a low whistle, none of us biting at Malfoy's subtle brag about his father's meetings with the Minister. I did have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from making a particularly rude comment about Harry's run-in with him after his hearing though. "That's a pretty high up official to have here."

"Hmm, thank Merlin your connections were finally good for something, Malfoy." I remarked, ignoring the dirty look he shot me – continuing to stare at Umbridge curiously. If the Ministry had someone that close to Fudge here, it meant that the Order had been right over the summer – Fudge really didn't trust Dumbledore anymore.

"What's it mean, do you think?" Tracey asked, none of us paying attention as the first years began to traipse into the hall.

"My guess is that the Ministry is stepping in at Hogwarts," Theodore said grimly.

None of us had a chance to respond before a hush fell over the hall as the Sorting Hat was placed on its stand, all of us waiting for the song as usual.

_In times of old, when I was new,_   
_And Hogwarts barely started,_   
_The founders of our noble school_   
_Thought never to be parted._   
_United by a common goal,_   
_They had the self-same yearning_   
_To make the world's best magic school_   
_And pass along their learning._   
_"Together we will build and teach"_   
_The four good friends decided._   
_And never did they dream that they_   
_Might some day be divided._   
_For were there such friends anywhere_   
_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_   
_Unless it was the second pair_   
_Unless it was the second pair_   
_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,_   
_So how could it have gone so wrong?_   
_How could such friendships fail?_   
_Why, I was there, so I can tell_   
_The whole sad, sorry tale._   
_Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those_   
_Whose ancestry's purest."_   
_Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose_   
_Intelligence is surest"_   
_Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those_   
_With brave deeds to their name."_   
_Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot_   
_And treat them just the same."_   
_These differences caused little strife_   
_When first they came to light._   
_For each of the four founders had_   
_A house in which they might_   
_Take only those they wanted, so,_   
_For instance, Slytherin_   
_Took only pure-blood wizards_   
_Of great cunning just like him._   
_And only those of sharpest mind_   
_Were taught by Ravenclaw_   
_While the bravest and the boldest_   
_Went to daring Gryffindor._   
_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest_   
_and taught them all she knew,_   
_Thus, the Houses and their founders_   
_Maintained friendships firm and true._

_So, Hogwarts worked in harmony_   
_for several happy years,_   
_but then discord crept among us_   
_feeding on our faults and fears._

_The Houses that, like pillars four_   
_had once held up our school_   
_now turned upon each other and_   
_divided, sought to rule._   
_And for a while it seemed the school_   
_must meet an early end._   
_what with duelling and with fighting_   
_and the clash of friend on friend._   
_And at last there came a morning_   
_when old Slytherin departed_   
_and though the fighting then died out_   
_he left us quite downhearted._   
_And never since the founders four_   
_were whittled down to three_   
_have the Houses been united_   
_as they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here_   
_and you all know the score:_   
_I sort you into Houses_   
_because that is what I'm for._   
_But this year I'll go further,_   
_listen closely to my song:_   
_though condemned I am to split you_   
_still I worry that it's wrong,_   
_though I must fulfill my duty_   
_and must quarter every year_   
_still I wonder whether sorting_   
_may not bring the end I fear._   
_Oh, know the perils, read the signs,_   
_the warning history shows,_   
_for our Hogwarts is in danger_   
_from external, deadly foes_   
_and we must unite inside her_   
_or we'll crumble from within_   
_I have told you, I have warned you…_   
_let the Sorting now begin._

I sat in shock for a moment, my friends' faces echoing my expression as a smattering applause filled the hall, murmurs and whispers flitted between it.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Madi whispered from my other side, and I shrugged helplessly at her in response. That hat lived in Dumbledore's office all year, it heard more than most people – and I knew exactly what it meant. The hat was warning us.

"Did Potter really have a trial for underage use of magic?" Blaise murmured to me from next to his girlfriend as the sorting started, and I turned to him and Madi while everyone else was mostly distracted.

"Yes, it was complete bullshit. Fudge is doing anything he can to keep Harry quiet."

Blaise let out a sigh, "Is there any chance of you listening to what I said about sticking mostly with us?"

I shot him a sarcastic look, and he rolled his eyes slightly.

"Didn't think so, but just remember – these are his battles, CB. Not yours."

I didn't respond, the three of us falling silent as we tuned back into the end of the sorting. They just would never understand that any battle of Harry's was mine, and any of mine were his. That's just how it had always been.

Finally, the sorting ended, and a hush came over the room once more as Dumbledore rose in his chair – staring at us all with twinkling eyes.

"To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

I was relieved as the food appeared in front of us, I had barely finished breakfast this morning with Mrs Weasley rushing us all around – and then had missed the lunch trolley on the train.

"So," Daphne said, and I braced myself when I heard that distinct gossipy tone in her voice, "Tracey told us you were with Weasley when she saw you in Diagon Alley."

I felt Malfoy tense next to me, his jaw clenching as he chewed his food much more angrily than he had been before Daphne had spoken.

I made sure Daphne knew I was not amused, staring at her coldly as I responded. "Yes."

Madi and Blaise were trying and failing to hide their sniggers in their goblets next to me.

"Interesting." Daphne continued, unbothered - her eyes flickering subtly between me and Malfoy in amusement.

"Is it?" I said drily, "I didn't realise it was such a revelation for us to stay friends."

Tracey snorted, which I thought was brave of her considering the situation she'd just inadvertently caused – even if she may not have realised she had. "Right, are you sure _he_ knows you're just friends?"

I let my fork fall on my plate angrily with a loud clatter, "What the hell does that mean?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "Just that he seemed awful protective of you when I saw you two together."

"Oi, drop it Davis." Blaise finally spoke up, glancing between me and Malfoy warily – becoming aware of both of our tempers rising.

"Whatever, just an observation." Tracey shrugged, going back to her dinner without another word.

I didn't dare look at Malfoy, even though I could feel his eyes already on me. Fred and I being friends had nothing to do with him, besides – why should he even care? It's not like we were together, and despite what little lapse in judgement I may have had when I'd first seen him, we weren't going to be. I had been serious when I'd told him I promised myself no distractions. I couldn't let him distract me like he had last year, Harry had been the one who'd almost paid the price for it.

The Headmaster was standing again by this point, thankfully taking everyone's attention away from me.

"Now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. First-years ought to know that the forest is out of bounds to students – and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too."

I immediately drifted my gaze over to Harry, who was already looking my way – the two of us exchanging a subtle wink.

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked for me – for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fasted to his office door."

"I guarantee you he's done that because of you and those twins," Madi muttered to me, I was already snickering proudly – I had no doubts she was correct.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year," the Headmaster continued, "I am pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons while Professor Hagrid is away on leave."

I frowned, wondering if wherever Hagrid was had something to do with the mission Dumbledore had assigned him before the end of term last year. I hoped the fact it was taking him so long wasn't a bad sign.

"We are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." There was a polite smattering of applause, but I made no move to join in – my eyes trained on the woman as she slowly rose to her feet and let out a quiet _'hem, hem'_ , making Dumbledore trail off in slight surprise. I don't think anyone had ever interrupted him when he was talking before.

"Oh," I breathed quietly, "Yes. I'm going to hate her."

Madi shushed me, but there was a smirk playing on her lips like she already agreed with me.

Most of the hall was watching her in a mix of shock or immediate dislike, the rest of the professors at the head table looking appalled that she had dared to interrupt the Headmaster. Dumbledore though, sat silently and watched the pink-clad woman as she walked to the front like he had never been more interested in what someone had to say before in his life.

"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," her voice was high-pitched and breathy in a way that made everything she said sound fake – and I felt my dislike for her increasing with every word that came out of her mouth.

"And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me…" I was pretty sure not one person in this hall was smiling.

"How old does this witch think we are?" Pansy Parkinson hissed, and I had to nod sourly in agreement. She was talking to us as if we were toddlers.

"…I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," Umbridge continued to simper, and I instinctively cringed when she made that same little _'hem, hem'_.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school…" she paused to nod at Dumbledore, who returned it graciously. "…progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

I followed her with narrowed eyes as she glided back to her chair, not paying attention to what the Headmaster continued to say. Progress for the sake of progress. Preserve what must be preserved. Practices that ought to be prohibited.

Theodore had been right - the Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts.

"You're going to make her life hell, aren't you?" I pulled my eyes back to Lillian at her question, seeing her watching me with a wicked smile.

I shrugged innocently, "I'll leave her be as long as she doesn't piss me off."

Malfoy snorted in disbelief, "I doubt that will take long."

"Be careful Cassie," Daphne warned in hushed tones, "You don't want to give someone as important as her a reason to dislike you."

I rolled my eyes, "I gather she already dislikes me just from who I am. I don't even think I'll have to try."

"Well, that's just how most of us feel about you, Black."

I let out a quiet laugh, a cold smile forming on my face as I turned to see Gorgia Avery for the first time this term. She was smirking at me from a little way down the table, obviously pleased with her first shot at me for the year.

"Wow, Avery. Did it take you all summer to think of that one?" I said coolly, keeping my cold stare fixed on her.

"How was _your_ summer?" she shot back without missing a beat, "Eventful?"

I rolled my eyes; I knew exactly what she was insinuating – but I wasn't going to bite. I wasn't that stupid.

"Sure," I replied easily, before lowering my voice a little more, "Don't think I've forgotten that little stunt you pulled at the end of last year either."

Her eyes flickered between me and Malfoy, faltering for just a moment, before fixing another smug smile on her face and turning away with a feigned innocent shrug.

"What stunt?" Tracey questioned, breaking the tense silence that had fallen as my friends watched our exchange.

"Don't worry about it." I muttered, refusing to look at Malfoy as I felt his eyes boring into me.

I barely touched my dessert, lost in my own thoughts of Umbridge and what the hell her presence here would mean for Hogwarts, for Harry and even for me. Surely the Ministry would be clued in on exactly who was close to Dumbledore, and I could almost guarantee my dad was far up on their list.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Malfoy nudged me, opening my mouth to tell him off before remembering we were supposed to lead the first years to the Common Room.

"Have fun," Lillian taunted, the rest of our friends sniggering at our dumb luck. We both shot them all a filthy look before striding forward.

"First years!" I was glad when Malfoy took charge, the group of eleven-year olds jumping slightly at his harsh tone, "With us - and try and keep up will you!"

We started our march out of the Great Hall, scurrying footsteps rushing to keep up with us and I tried to ignore the whispers breaking out among them as well – they clearly all knew exactly who Malfoy and I were already. Oh, how I loathed the pureblood society and its extensive memory.

"Cass!"

Malfoy rolled his eyes in distaste as Harry rushed to catch up to me, moving a few paces ahead and yelling some more at the slower lot of the first years.

"Alright?" I asked Harry, who was frowning deeply.

"That Umbridge woman – she works at the Ministry; she was at my trial."

I nodded, "Yeah, Malfoy and Nott told us. You know what it means don't you?"

Harry went to reply, before he shifted a little uncomfortably as his eyes landed on some particularly curious first year Slytherins who were pointing and whispering at him.

"Yes, that's Harry Potter," I snapped, glaring fiercely at them. "Just a tip: the first rule of Slytherin is you don't care about his existence. _So how about you follow it?_ "

They scurried forward, eyes wide in fear – and I saw Malfoy duck his head to hide a laugh at my comment from where he was still walking as far away from Harry and I as he could.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled, "And yeah, I know. Means the Ministry is interfering here."

I nodded grimly, "We ought to tell our dads."

"They probably already know," he replied, "Dumbledore isn't an idiot, he'll know exactly what's going on."

We reached the turn off for Gryffindor Tower, and he gave me one more grim looking smile before walking away – making sure to shoot a dirty look at my fellow prefect as he re-joined my side.

"One of those first years over there asked me if it was true you were raised by wild wolves," he informed me drily, and I scoffed in disbelief.

"And I suppose you told him he was right?"

He smirked, glancing at me sidelong, "No - I told him it was dogs."

I gave him a hard shove, glaring at him as he laughed.

Thankfully, by this point we reached the portrait for the Common Room and I turned my attention back to the first years.

"The password is _Icarus_ – but it changes every two weeks, so don't forget to check. I won't be the one to let you in if you do," I said stonily, stepping through as the portrait swung open. "Now scram!"

They all rushed off in the direction of the dorms, and Malfoy came to stand beside me with a satisfied smirk.

"I'd say they're all sufficiently scared of us."

"Good," I remarked smugly.

"We make quite the team," he continued casually, and I turned to look at him warningly.

"Don't start."

His smirk didn't falter, merely shrugging as his eyes glinted dangerously at me. "Let's see how long this ignoring me thing of yours lasts once we have to patrol together all the time…alone."

I watched him saunter towards the dorms with a scowl. He was right, spending all that time alone with him and sticking to my resolve of not letting him distract me was going to prove to be difficult.

But was it really a year at Hogwarts if I wasn't going to suffer at least a little?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Cassie and Draco are finally reunited! I also very much enjoyed having my group of Slytherin's back. I am definitely biased but I just love writing them! How do we think Umbridge is going to feel about our girl? I hope you are all enjoying so far, please leave me a review if you have any thoughts! See you for the next update xx


	22. The New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello again! Sorry this update was a little late, life has been hectic lately. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, and I'm glad to see some of you are getting excited for what's to come...you definitely should be hehe.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this one!

"I hope we have Defence today," Madi said as she, Daphne and I walked to breakfast the next morning. "I want to see exactly what that toad is going to be like."

"I've never dreaded a class more," I disagreed, "I can already tell I'm going to hate her and whatever bullshit she calls teaching."

"I was serious when I told you not to make an enemy of her, Cassie." Daphne glared at me slightly as we reached the Great Hall, "She could make things really difficult for you."

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "I'll be just as nice to her as she is to me, will that keep you appeased Greengrass?"

She seemed satisfied, giving a little nod as we slid into our seats.

"Quidditch tryouts are Friday at 7pm," Blaise said to me as I reached for some toast.

"Perfect," I grinned, "We only need to replace our beaters right?" I hadn't realised how much I'd felt the absence of Quidditch last year until I started thinking about being able to play again this year.

"Mhm," Malfoy responded from next to Blaise, "And Montague is still captain."

I nodded thoughtfully; I should be a guarantee to keep my spot. Blaise and I had been Chasers since second year alternating with Flint and Montague – so he knew how good we were. It wasn't like I hadn't earned it either, I was the first girl on the Slytherin team in centuries.

"Theodore is considering going out for Keeper," Daphne piped up proudly, Theodore looking less than thrilled at her decision to announce it to the entire table.

"You should do it," I grinned encouragingly at him, "Then we'd practically have taken over the whole team."

"Bletchley is good though; he'll be tough to beat out." Lillian commented, and I shot her a smug smirk.

"You would know, Moon."

She stuck her tongue out at me, not looking that bothered at the reminder of her little fling as the rest of us sniggered.

"Gryffindor needs a new Keeper now that Wood's gone," Blaise turned the subject back around again.

"That's a big loss for them," I commented with wide eyes, I hadn't even realised Wood had graduated last year.

"Can we talk about something else now?" Madi complained, rolling her eyes – the other girls nodding in agreement.

"Like how we have Defence this afternoon?" Tracey suggested as Snape strode along handing out the schedules, eagerly glancing down at hers. I made brief eye contact with our Head of House – suddenly realising he'd spent an entire summer coming in and out of my house and I hadn't seen him once.

I shook it off, tuning into the conversation about the keen interest (or dread) for Umbridge's class.

"Today won't be so bad, you know." Blaise said as we made our way out of the hall, "Transfiguration, Potions and Defence all in one day."

I was glad I was walking with only Madi and Blaise at the rear of our little group as we came out into the entrance hall and I spotted Fred and George - meaning Malfoy was already too far ahead to cause any unnecessary tension when I stopped to talk to them.

"Weasleys," Madi commented as she and Blaise continued on, a strangely tolerant smile on her face as she did so.

They seemed just as surprised as me – gazing after her for a moment before facing me again, smirks falling onto their faces as they spotted my badge on my robes for the first time.

"Wow, it still doesn't look right…"

I whacked Fred on the arm as he laughed, "Don't be rude, or I'll give you detention!"

"You wouldn't dare," George feigned horror.

"We hear you have Defence today," Fred said with interest, and I nodded – a scowl already forming on my face just at the mention of Umbridge.

"I can already tell I'm not going to get along with this particular Professor."

George snorted, "You and us both."

"Be careful," I warned them, inwardly cursing myself for how much like Daphne I sounded. "Make sure she doesn't catch wind of any of your products or you'll be heading for trouble."

Fred pretended to be insulted, "When are we not careful?"

I rolled my eyes, seeing my friends were quite a distance away and giving the twins a quick wave goodbye before I jogged to catch up.

"You two do seem good," Madi observed as I re-joined them.

"We are," I replied, "I'm just lucky he was good enough of a person to forgive me."

Blaise smirked, "As if he was never going to - you could kill his twin brother and he'd still forgive you."

I shoved him lightly, making sure to glare at him warningly as we arrived at McGonagall's classroom. The last thing I needed on top of everything else right now was any insinuations that Fred still had feelings for me.

* * *

By the time we made our way to Potions in second period there was a misty drizzle falling outside, all of us bunching our robes up and racing as fast as we could to get under cover again - rolling our eyes as Daphne screeched about her hair going frizzy.

"I'm going to cut her bloody hair off in a minute," Blaise grumbled to me as we headed for our usual table when Snape swung the door open.

I smiled in amusement, my eyes seeking out our Potions professor as he shut the door firmly behind him - the whole class knowing by now that meant no more noise. I still hadn't been able to shake that feeling from this morning that he was avoiding me, but I had no idea why he would be.

"Before we begin today's lesson," he began, sweeping back towards his desk at the front of the room and regarding us all coldly. "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination." I frowned; this was exactly why I had to stay focused - with everything else going on all the rest of my energy had to be focused on my O.W.L's. - I'll be damned if I let Voldemort make me flunk out of school.

"Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L or suffer my displeasure."

Blaise and Malfoy were both leaning back in their seats with bemused smirks, knowing exactly as I did that he was not referring to us when he said moronic.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me. I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T Potions class..." his gaze swept over our table, "...which means some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." I couldn't help but smirk in amusement when his gaze then rested pointedly where Harry and Ron were sitting - Ron flushing red and Harry glaring back at him haughtily.

Snape barely paid them any mind, continuing on as if he hadn't even been deliberately looking at them in the first place. "Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation." I perked up, only vaguely hearing him give the rest of the instructions. I had been smart enough the night before to put up a Silencing Charm when I went to bed, not wanting to alert the rest of my dorm to my still consistent dreams. But maybe a potion like this could be just the thing I needed to stop them for good.

"You seem very interested in this one," Blaise mused as we started to prepare, looking at me out of the corner of his eye slightly suspiciously.

I shrugged nonchalantly, "It's a complex potion - why wouldn't I enjoy it?"

He didn't respond at first, continuing to watch me scrutinisingly before he lowered his voice a bit more, "You haven't had any more weird dreams since the lake last year, right?"

I tensed momentarily, shaking it off as quick as I could so he wouldn't notice and shooting him a quick but warning glare, "No." This was not something we should be discussing right now, I didn't want to discuss it at all. The last thing I needed was Blaise catching wind of my nightmares.

"Are you sure?"

"Leave it, Blaise." I hissed under my breath, "I said I haven't, all right?"

He let out a small growl of frustration, glaring back at me just as harshly as I had at him. "You know, I miss when you never used to keep secrets."

"Fuck off." I fired back quietly, turning my body away from him a little to let him know I had no further desire to speak to him. I knew his anger was only stemming from knowing I was lying - but that comment had stung just as he'd intended it to. It was a low blow.

"Wow," Malfoy commented drily, raising an eyebrow as he noticed our tense body language. "Well done Zabini, usually it's me making her look that angry."

"You can fuck off too." I said bluntly, making him shoot Blaise an annoyed look for putting me in such a bad mood. I paid both of them no mind, all of my focus now on getting this potion absolutely perfect.

I was glad I decided to focus so much in the end - even for me this potion was difficult. The ingredients had to be added at just the right time with the exact quantities; stirred the exactly the right number of times in clockwise and then anticlockwise directions and the heat had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added. Despite the difficulty, I felt myself relaxing the more I threw myself into it - I had forgotten how much I loved brewing, and by the end I was barely even annoyed at Blaise anymore.

I finished about three seconds before Malfoy; Blaise finishing only a few moments after him - all three of us sitting back and letting out a sigh of relief. None of us said anything for a moment before I finally smiled smugly in triumph.

"I win."

Malfoy let out an annoyed scoff, "By _milliseconds_."

There had always been an unspoken competition between the three of us whenever we did individual potions, which I gathered would be much more common now we were preparing for our O.W.L.'s. By the end of last year Malfoy and I had been neck-and-neck, but this victory today would put me back ahead - at least for now anyway.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," Snape called, all three of us smirking when our potions did exactly that - earning us a satisfied nod from our professor as he passed.

I glanced around the rest of the room and shook my head with an amused smile. We were in the slight minority who had managed to get it right. Harry's cauldron was emitting copious amounts of dark grey steam; Ron's was spitting green sparks; Neville Longbottom seemed to have somehow made cement in his cauldron, and Seamus Finnigan, as usual, was trying to put out some sort of fire he'd somehow managed to cause. Hermione's potion, however, was almost as perfect as mine.

Unsurprisingly, it was Harry who Snape chose to call out.

"Tell me Potter, can you read?"

I rolled my eyes as Blaise and Malfoy both sniggered next to me. I already knew exactly what Harry had forgotten to do - add the hellebore, that was the only reason his potion would be emitting smoke that dark.

"Yes," Harry was responding bluntly.

"I'm not sure you can," Snape mused, "As it seems to me you have completely missed an entire step, thus rendering this-" he waved his wand over the cauldron, vanishing Harry's potion completely, "-useless."

"Those of you who _have_ managed to read the instructions," he swept away without another word, leaving Harry glaring ferociously into the empty cauldron, "Fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing. Homework will be twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion making - to be handed in on Thursday."

I glanced briefly at Harry again as I filled my sample, ignoring the growing taunts from my fellow Slytherins around me in his direction. I made sure to be quick so I could get to the front of the room alone for at least a moment, my suspicion only deepening when Snape made a great effort to look busy and avoid meeting my eyes at all. Whatever it was that was making him keep me at arm's length, I was not going to give up until I found out.

I snorted as I passed Goyle on my way across the room to catch Harry, as he had somehow managed to set his robes on fire. "Taking lessons from Finnigan, Goyle?"

He moved as if to come at me, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise when I heard Malfoy harshly snap his name from behind me, stopping him in his tracks. I looked back at him briefly over my shoulder, seeing him glaring at Goyle fiercely - jaw set in anger and grey eyes flashing. I hastily turned back around, refusing to dwell on the fact he had just so publicly protected me.

Thankfully, Harry was still too busy quietly fuming to have noticed anything as I reached him.

"Don't worry about it," I said quietly, struggling a little to keep up with his angry strides as we made our way up to the Great Hall.

"It wasn't just my potion that was terrible," he complained harshly. "Why does it always have to be me?"

"I know," I sighed. "You just have to try and let it go - he only does it to get a reaction out of you."

He glared at me, "Why can't you be on my side for once?"

I blinked a little in shock, "I'm always on your side, Harry - what the hell?"

"If you were, you'd never bother defending him in the first place." Harry responded shortly, storming towards the Gryffindor table without another word. Ron and Hermione shot me slight apologetic looks, scurrying after him and leaving me standing there in bewilderment.

"Hey," Madi came up behind me, frowning after the Gryffindors retreating forms, "What was that about?"

I shrugged, "Who knows? Harry's been a little short tempered lately, doesn't take much to set him off…"

Madi frowned, "He keeps taking it out on you and he and I are going to have a problem."

I gave her a small smile of thanks, the two of us walking towards our own table and sliding in just as Pansy was waving her wand over Daphne's hair - successfully de-frizzing it.

"You really are very good at that." Lillian commented, looking impressed.

Pansy shrugged, "My mother was teaching me those spells from the moment I could talk."

I couldn't help but be amused at Pansy helping Daphne with anything after how estranged they'd become last year during the whole Theodore fiasco. Evidently the two of them had decided to let bygones be bygones. I suddenly realised I wasn't even sure if there had been any developments on the Daphne/Theodore front, sneaking a look between where they were sitting side by side. I reminded myself to quiz Daphne later on anything that may have happened between them over summer.

My attention was drawn when I saw Harry storming away from the Gryffindor table and let out a sigh. I was starting to notice it wasn't just me he was taking his frustrations out on, and the more temperamental he became the more worried I was starting to feel.

* * *

The classroom was buzzing as we all took our seats to wait for our new Professor that afternoon. Madi and I slid into a table near the back, Blaise and Malfoy occupying the table in front of us much to my annoyance. I hadn't spoken a word to Blaise since our argument in Potions, and I was still trying to shake off Malfoy defending me to Goyle too.

I noticed Harry was sitting next to Ron a few rows down and felt a little more relieved, at least he wasn't being crabby enough to still be ignoring him. I'd caught Ron on the way to Divination after lunch and asked why Harry had stormed out, and he'd told me he got annoyed because he and Hermione were bickering too much. I couldn't really fault him all that much about that, they did bicker an excessive amount - it would drive me nuts too.

Somewhere in the front of the room, one of the Patil's sent a paper crane magically flying into the air - and soon most of the class were sending it flying around, swatting at it or blowing on it as the laughter and yelling increased. I stifled a yawn, resting my cheek on my arms as I half-watched. A full day of classes had proved to be difficult running on the little sleep I was used to getting now, I only hoped I would grow used to it as the year went on. I was exhausted.

Suddenly, the Patil's paper crane was extinguished in mid-air, landing on their desk just as the flames died out - everyone's eyes now on the front of the room where Professor Umbridge stood, a sickly-sweet smile on her features. I lifted my head, noticing the whole class seemed to suddenly sit up a little straighter at her sudden appearance.

"Well, good afternoon!" she exclaimed, a frown settling on her face when she was met with mostly silence. "Tut, tut - _that_ won't do, now, will it? I would like you please, to reply 'Good afternoon Professor Umbridge.' One more time, shall we? Good afternoon, class!"

The class chanted back in a monotone, but her sickening smile returned to her face as if she hadn't noticed the lack of enthusiasm at all. I exchanged a look with Madi, thinking that Pansy had been right last night when she asked how old this bitch thinks we are.

"There, that wasn't too difficult was it?" I immediately hated her patronising tone, "Wands away and quills out, please."

There was an immediate sad reaction as everyone reluctantly did as she asked, we were old enough now to know that particular instruction was never the sign of an enjoyable lesson.

Umbridge pulled her own wand out, tapping it sharply on the blackboard, words appearing instantly:

_Defence Against the Dark Arts_

_A Return to Basic Principles_

_Course Aims:_

_1\. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2\. Learning to recognise situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_3\. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical spells._

My feeling of dread only grew.

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented hasn't it?" Umbridge clasped her hands in front of her as she addressed us, "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in you being far below the standard we would expect from O.W.L. level students."

"You will be pleased to know, these problems are now going to be rectified as we will be following a carefully structured, theory-centred, Ministry approved course of defensive magic this year." Most of the room seemed to react to the words 'theory-centred', many looks being exchanged between less than happy faces.

If she noticed, she didn't pay any attention to it, continuing on like we were all hanging off her every word. "I trust everybody has their copy of ' _Defensive Magical Theory_ ' by Wilbert Slinkhard. I would like you to now read through Chapter One, there will be no need for discussion."

There was a slow shuffle of movement as everyone reluctantly did as they were asked, and I rolled my eyes slightly when I opened the book to see the title of the chapter was ' _Basics for Beginners'_. I stared down at the page, not really taking any of the words in and worrying I may actually fall asleep at some point during the hour. Glancing around I noticed everyone looked just as thrilled as me. Madi was twirling her hair around her finger as she gazed at the page in front of her; the two boys sitting in front of us were both slouched in their chairs, not even trying to pretend like they were reading. My eyebrows raised when my gaze landed on Hermione and I realised she hadn't even opened her book and was staring determinedly at Umbridge with her hand stuck straight in the air.

Even more fascinating, Umbridge was pointedly ignoring her - looking anywhere else in the room.

I nudged Madi, pulling her attention to the bushy-haired Gryffindor. Madi's eyes widened slightly in surprise, before she lightly kicked the back of Blaise's chair to get his attention. He turned slightly to look at us questioningly, following our gaze when we nodded towards the spectacle that was slowly building. He immediately nudged Malfoy, who raised an eyebrow in question - actually looking intrigued when he realised what we were all staring at.

By this point, half the class was staring at Hermione too - and Umbridge could ignore her no longer.

"Did you have a question, dear?" she asked, like she had only just realised Hermione's hand was up at all.

"Yes, it's about the course aims." Hermione replied, fierce with determination.

Umbridge raised an eyebrow, "What is your name dear?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger - I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them carefully enough," her voice was so fakely sweet it almost made me sick.

"Well, I don't." Hermione said bluntly. "There's nothing up there about using defensive spells."

There was a short silence, everyone's gaze drifting over to the blackboard.

" _Using_ defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated with a strange little laugh. "I can't imagine a situation where you would need to use defensive spells in my classroom."

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron spoke up incredulously, echoing what I was sure everyone else was thinking.

"You will be learning how to use defensive spells in a secure, risk free environment…"

"What use is that? If we're going to be attacked it's not going to be risk free!" I groaned inwardly when Harry interrupted, I had been wondering how long it would take him to put his two cents in.

"S _tudents will raise their hands when they speak in my class._ " Umbridge's voice suddenly became much sharper as soon as Harry spoke, turning her back to him. I bristled, sitting up a little straighter and watching her with narrowed eyes.

Harry immediately thrust his hand in the air, so did Hermione and a few others, Umbridge pointedly ignoring Harry and instead gesturing to Dean Thomas.

"And your name is?"

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said isn't it?" I almost smiled at his words, "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

Our professor's smile was becoming more strained by the minute, and I was loving it. "I repeat, do you expect to be attacked in my classes?"

"No - but…"

"I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school," she spoke over Dean determinedly, cutting him off. "But you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention..." she gave a nasty little laugh, and I immediately tensed at the sound, "...extremely dangerous half-breeds."

A low growl escaped me at the same time Madi gripped my arm in warning, and Blaise and Malfoy both shot me warning looks over their shoulders. I saw Harry react much in the same way as me, sitting up a lot straighter and his shoulders tensing in anger.

"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean once again defended angrily. "He was the best we ever had."

"Damn fucking right he was." I hissed under my breath, ignoring the warning looks coming from my three housemates around me once again.

"It is the opinion of the Ministry," Umbridge let out a long breath. "That a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations. Which after all, is what school is all about!"

"And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Harry said loudly, and I suddenly felt much more wary about him speaking his mind so much when I started to catch on to where he was going to take this.

"Harry." I hissed warningly, loud enough that he would hear me - earning myself three more glares, which I ignored. Harry didn't acknowledge me, but Umbridge moved her beady gaze in my direction briefly - and I was surprised when she looked more curious than malicious.

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter."

"Oh, yeah?" I could feel how much his temper had risen even from here.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?"

Don't do it Harry, don't do something this stupid.

"I don't know, maybe _Lord Voldemort?_ "

I let my head fall in my hands, letting out a deep breath to try and calm myself. The whole classroom went deathly silent save for Ron gasping, Lavender Brown letting out a pathetic little squeal and poor Neville falling sideways off his chair in shock - an action I couldn't even enjoy because of the level of tension now hanging in the air.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." Umbridge's voice was much lower now, more dangerous. "Now, let me make a few things quite plain."

"You have been told that a certain dark wizard has returned from the dead-"

"He wasn't dead, but yeah he's returned!" I let out another hiss when Harry spoke up angrily again, and Madi gripped my arm warningly even tighter than before - Blaise turning to look at me again as well, his eyes clearly telling me to stay out of it.

"-this is a _lie_."

"It's NOT a lie, I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr Potter!" Umbridge crowed, "Tomorrow evening, my office. I repeat, _this is a_ _lie_. The Ministry guarantees that you are not in any danger from any dark wizards. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. I am your friend - I am here to help. For now, you will kindly continue your reading once again, _in silence_."

I glared at her back fiercely as she turned away once more and then sat down behind her desk. I had no belief that she was here to 'be our friend', or to help.

My eyes widened as Harry stood up abruptly, fists clenched at his side.

" _Harry!_ " I exclaimed again angrily, much louder this time - Hermione protesting with him at the same time, but he ignored us both. This was not what we had been told to do, not what the Order or our dads would want.

"So, according to you Cedric Diggory just dropped dead of his own accord?"

There was a sharp intake of breath throughout the entire class. Harry had never spoken once about Cedric's death, barely even to me.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a _tragic accident_ ," Umbridge was trying to keep her voice controlled, but I could hear her temper rising with every word she spoke. My mind was racing, I had to make Harry stop before he got himself in even more trouble. As if she'd heard what I was thinking, Madi dug her nails into my arm harshly and I shot her a glare in return. I don't know why she kept thinking she needed to restrain me, I wasn't as stupid as Harry - I knew this would get him nowhere, if anything it would only make people believe him less.

"It was murder," Harry was shaking now. "He killed him, and you know it."

Umbridge looked scarily calm, and I suddenly felt a rush of fear from the way she was watching him. I was scared of what she might do to him if he continued to push her, and I knew he had too much of a bloody hero complex to stop unless I did something.

"Harry - _sit down and shut up._ "

He whirled around to face me in shock, gaping slightly at me as I glared fiercely back at him - challenging him with my eyes. Madi and Blaise both let out disappointed sighs, Malfoy had gone rigid in his seat; and Umbridge was now watching me thoughtfully, eyebrows raised in slight surprise. Every eye in the classroom was now on me or Harry, watching the silent challenge between us. He was holding my still dangerous glare just as harshly, but there was what looked like confusion behind the anger. He didn't understand why I was essentially going against him, and I silently begged him to understand that I was trying to help.

Our silent conversation stretched for what felt like minutes, but finally his eyes flickered and he turned away - sinking slowly into his seat.

It felt like the entire class let out a breath of relief, and I could still feel Umbridge's beady eyes on me as I purposely kept my eyes trained on the book still in front of me.

"Wonderful. Everyone back to your reading, please," her voice was back to that fake sickly-sweet tone as she spoke, sounding far too satisfied for my liking. In her eyes, she had won.

There was a small ruffle of pages, the room staying deathly silent. I glanced over at Madi, who was glaring slightly at me for getting myself involved, but I didn't even care enough to refute her - looking back down at my page.

All I could think about was what I'd seen in Harry's eyes before he'd listened to me and sat down.

Betrayal.

* * *

"What the _hell_ are you playing at?!"

I wasn't surprised when Harry found me at the end of the hour. I had barely taken two steps out of the classroom before he grabbed my arm and pulled me around to face him, his features twisted in anger.

"Me?" I responded angrily, pulling my arm from his grip. "What the hell were _you_ playing at?! How can you possibly think that was helpful?"

He looked shocked, "What do you mean, how is telling the truth not helpful?"

I rolled my eyes, "Use your common sense, Harry. Think about where she's come from and what she's been sent here to do, how is undermining her in her own classroom and drawing unneeded attention to yourself a good idea?!"

"People deserve to know!"

"I know!" I exclaimed in exasperation, not understanding how he could be so rash about this. "But this isn't about truth or lies, it's about keeping your head down and your temper under control!"

It was like he wasn't even listening to me, glaring at me so fiercely I shrunk a little under his gaze. "I can't believe you; we're supposed to be on each other's side always! That's what our dads have always told us!"

I snorted in disbelief, "And do you really think this is what James would want you to be doing?"

"He would want me to be fighting for what's right," he clenched his fists at his side, still staring at me as if I was now his enemy.

"Not like this." I said firmly, pleading with my eyes for him to understand what I was telling him - but he was too blinded by his own rage.

"Sirius would have wanted you to stick up for me, he would be disappointed in you," his tone was cold, and I stepped back a little at the harshness of his words.

"Don't." I choked out. He was wrong, my dad would want us to be safe - not drawing attention to ourselves. I knew he was only saying what he knew was going to hurt me in his anger.

"I think you need to go, Potter."

It was almost like Blaise had sensed the change in my emotions, and he, Theodore and Malfoy appeared at my side instantly - cold glares fixed on Harry in front of me. I hadn't even realised they had waited, and I let out a small sigh of relief at their presence, which surprised me a lot more than it should have.

Harry's anger didn't waver, but he must have noticed my relief and glared dangerously between the three of them - I wondered if he was thinking back to when this almost exact situation had happened last year, only this time he was the one yelling at me.

"Do you think she'd look so relieved to have your help if she knew what I knew?"

A shocked gasp escaped me, and I felt all three of them immediately bristle in anger and threw my arm out to stop Malfoy from moving forward when he went to almost instantly. I knew what he meant, and I suddenly felt just as betrayed as he might have towards me. I had told him I didn't want to know.

"Walk away, Harry."

He looked at me incredulously, "Are you serious?"

"You're out of line," I said darkly, my eyes cold as I gazed back at him. "I don't want to talk to you anymore if you're going to be like this. So, _go_."

"Harry," I hadn't even noticed Ron and Hermione were behind him until Hermione spoke softly, "Let's just go."

Harry still refused to look away from me, like he was waiting for me to change my mind - but I had no intention of backing down. I was far too close to tears, but I refused to let him see me break. I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him when he was this angry.

"You're really going to choose them over me?"

I shook my head, "I'm not choosing anyone. You're being blinded by your anger, Harry."

"She's right." Hermione tried again, but he turned to glare at her harshly, making her shrink back.

"You should listen to her, Potter." Blaise spoke darkly, "Or I won't ask as nicely next time."

Harry barely paid him any mind, he seemed to have already decided he was going to go anyway. But he made sure to glare at me one more time, and I saw everything he wanted me to know in his eyes. I'd betrayed him.

We watched them go in silence, and I finally dropped my arm when I realised I was still sort of holding Malfoy back – ignoring the meaningful way he was watching me.

"Are you okay?" Theodore asked, stepping cautiously in front of me so he could gaze at me in concern.

I forced a nod, "Fine."

"You were right," Blaise said angrily, "You were just trying to stop him from acting like a fucking idiot."

"I know," I said, "It'll be fine once he calms down."

"He shouldn't be taking it out on you in the first place..." Blaise continued to rant, before suddenly trailing off as he spotted something behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and realised it wasn't something, rather someone – Umbridge was standing in the still open door of the classroom smiling sweetly at us.

"I wonder if we could have a little chat, Miss Black?"

I exchanged a slightly wary look with Blaise, who gave his head a little shake in warning. I chose to ignore it, my curiosity on what she could possibly want to talk to me about taking over, smiling tightly in return to her.

"Of course, Professor."

I didn't even need to glance back at the three of them to know they were glaring at me as I followed her back inside the classroom. I sat tentatively in one of the desks in the first row as she stood in front of her own, clasping her hands together and giving me another sickly-sweet smile.

"I couldn't help but overhear that little exchange," she began, and I immediately grew suspicious. She had made it perfectly clear she had an obvious dislike for Harry, so where was this going?

"Oh, that." I answered cautiously, "Harry's just a little upset with me is all."

"I can't imagine why he should be," she frowned, gazing at me with what I'm sure she intended to be sympathy, but her eyes were beading far too much for it to come across that way. "You were only doing the right thing dear. Does he often treat you like that if you go against him?"

I tried to open my mouth to say no, or that I wasn't going against him and was actually trying to help him – but my shock and confusion caused me to hesitate long enough for an eerily satisfied smile to cross her features.

"I see," she continued as if I had already answered, and all I could do was sit and continue to gape at her as she moved to stand closer to me, leaning down as if to tell me a secret. "I have to be honest Miss Black; from what I heard I had expected quite a different attitude from you."

I clenched the sides of my seat to control my emotions, keeping my expression passive as she simpered at me. I had no doubts whatever opinion she'd pre-formed of me came from my family.

"But, your efforts to stop Mr Potter from spreading these false rumours today…" my hands twitched as I tightened my grip, she was just making up her own narrative from my actions, "…and the company I notice you keep, have proven me to be wrong. I fear actions out of your control have gotten you caught up with the wrong sort for too long, but I see your potential to make the right choices now."

I couldn't believe what was happening. Umbridge _sympathised_ with me? She thinks I'm caught up with Harry not of my own will. A million thoughts of how to respond raced through my mind at once, before I settled on the one that made the most sense; the one that would benefit me, and maybe even Harry, the most.

I forced what I hoped was a grateful looking smile on my face, "Thank you, Professor. I'm glad someone understands."

Her smile grew, eyes sparking in terrifying victory as she straightened back up. "I think we are going to be very good friends, Miss Black. You may go."

I gave her one more forced smile before I turned and raced from the classroom, ignoring the sick feeling in my stomach. Somehow, without even meaning to, I had somehow tricked her into thinking I could be someone on her side. It was an easy enough decision to make now, I would keep her thinking that way for as long as I could. I had promised James and my dad I would keep Harry out of trouble and keep him safe, and maybe this was the best way to do it. Even if it made him hate me, at least he would be safe. Fear sparked inside me when I realised maybe I had been right earlier – this anger that he had now, it really was starting to control him, and I had no idea how to help him.

I missed dinner, sitting in an alcove on the fifth floor and starting on my Potions essay instead. The last thing I needed on top of everything else was to start falling behind on work. I only headed back down to the Common Room when I remembered I was supposed to have patrol tonight, and while I wasn't really in the mood to have to control myself around Malfoy - I also wasn't going to give him the leverage of missing a patrol, Merlin knows he would hold it over my head if I did.

Malfoy was just coming out of the dorms as I entered the Common Room, looking like he hadn't been expecting me to show up.

"Sorry, let me dump these and I'm coming."

"I'm shocked," he smirked, "I figured you were planning on ditching."

"And let you hold it over my head? Not a chance."

"I resent that you think I would!" he called after me as I rushed towards my dorm, and I had to bite back a smile.

"There you are!" Daphne exclaimed as I rushed in, throwing all my books on my bed and resolving to fix them later. "The boys told us what happened, are you okay?"

"Just say the word and I'll make Potter sorry," Lillian added darkly.

I smiled at them as reassuring as I could on my way back out, "It's fine, I'll see you all later!"

"Have fun being alone with Malfoy!" I stopped when I heard Tracey call tauntingly after me, slowly turning and stepping back into the dorm - staring around the room in suspicion. Why would Tracey say something like that unless…

My eyes widened, and I looked between Madi and Daphne accusingly. "Who told?!"

To my further annoyance, they all burst out laughing.

"Honey, no one needed to tell us!" Lillian said through her laughter, "We knew something was up over summer when he was sulking around because you didn't respond to his letters! Plus, the way you two look at each other sometimes? Only a blind person wouldn't see it."

I gaped at them all, they had known all summer?

"We did fill in some of the blanks for them, though." Madi admitted with a smirk, "But Lil's right, you guys are not subtle."

"I can't believe we didn't figure it out last year." Lillian was shaking her head in disappointment, "All the signs were there."

"We should have known it was him who bought her that necklace." Pansy agreed, and my eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at her indifferent tone. Even if she had decided to move onto Theodore last year, I still had my doubts that she wasn't completely over Malfoy. "Only Draco would have taste that amazing."

"I just wish you'd both stop being such wusses and jump each other's bones already." Tracey sighed.

"Right? The sexual tension is driving me mad." Lillian agreed, and I felt my face burning.

"Goodbye!" I called, swiftly turning on my heel. "And I hate all of you!"

I ignored their laughter as it carried out of the dorm as I rushed back into the Common Room. Great, so now all of my friends knew there was something going on between me and Malfoy, right when I'd resolved to make sure there wasn't.

"Sorry," I apologised again, avoiding his gaze as we made our way out into the corridors so he wouldn't see how red my cheeks were still.

"It's fine," he was looking at me suspiciously, probably wondering why I was making such an effort not to look at him.

We walked in silence for the first few corridors, I was still half-lost in my thoughts trying to figure out what I was going to do about Harry, and Umbridge's surprising interest in me.

However, I wasn't naïve enough to think the silence would last forever. I was sure he had plenty to say about what had happened today.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about today," he finally said as we started our second lap - eyeing me sidelong.

"Not particularly," I sighed.

"I figured as much," he had his hands shoved in his pockets casually as we walked. We were supposed to stay in uniform on patrols, but both of us had obviously had the same idea to stretch that rule as far as we could - both choosing to ditch our robes and cardigans. It was making my plan of avoiding looking at him as much as possible much more difficult, as I found I liked the lazy look on him.

"Potter was out of line," Malfoy said again after another silence, his tone darker than before. "You were trying to help him, as usual, and he had no right to attack you for it."

I blinked in surprise; there he went again - protecting me. He had done it all of last year without me even realising, he'd even done it earlier today in Potions with Goyle.

"Doesn't him being such a dim-witted fool today tell you that we're right, and you should stick with us this year?" I gazed over at him when he spoke again - seeing his jaw still clenched in anger. "You keep throwing yourself in danger all the damn time for him and this is how he treats you? I just wish you'd bloody listen to us for once and-"

"Malfoy." I stopped walking, cutting him off mid rant. He turned to look at me, seeming confused as to why I'd stopped, and a little annoyed at me for interrupting what I'm sure was a telling-off he'd been refining all afternoon.

"What?"

And then against all my better judgement, and everything I had been telling myself since I'd seen him on the train - I grabbed onto the end of his tie and pulled his lips down onto mine.

If I had thought the last kiss we'd shared had thrown me completely, it was nothing compared to this one. Suddenly all the feelings I'd been pushing away came rushing back, that same fire reigniting inside of me as he kissed me back like he'd been waiting his whole life for the chance again. He pulled back first, one of his arms still wrapped around me and holding me close to him like he was worried I'd run away again if he let go.

"I thought I was a distraction?" he said, searching my face as we both breathed heavily.

I bit my lip to try and stop the smile that formed on my lips, "So distract me." I breathed.

If he weren't holding me so tightly, my legs might have buckled from the way he looked at me at that - his eyes back to that beautiful liquid mercury I'd only seen once before. I never wanted him to look at me any other way again.

I couldn't help the giggle that fell from my lips as he swiftly pushed us into the wall with a smirk. Everything I'd been worrying about before started to fade away as I wrapped my arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the back of his head before letting myself get completely lost as he kissed me again without any hesitation.

Maybe I was allowed a little bit of a distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: AHHHHH! They finally kissed again!


End file.
